95-96

Chapter 95: Rebellion 4

Demon King

Rebellion – 4

I gave him a rough breakdown of the situation: The Great Fusion, the elves, and Elakatra, even the Jinma. I conveniently left out the parts where I had been incredibly powerful in the past, and how I might've been involved in the Great Fusion. I thought I did a good job of telling my story all in all, but things wouldn't be that easy.

[There are many things hidden by you that I cannot see.]

The spider responded, four pairs of red eyes glancing down at me. I shrugged.

"Isn't it natural that I can't tell you everything yet?"

[But it's odd. I'm feeling an overwhelming wall between you and me, though we shouldn't be so different.]

"I think our enemies are the same, so how about it? Will you cooperate with me?" I decided to ignore his comment, deciding I shouldn't answer as to why that may be.

[My situation is not so easy, but…]

The chance to make a superior entity my subordinate, a possibility I hadn't even imagined when I arrived here. Now that chance was right before me.

[But is it possible? I am subjugated to this enclosed space, but you have arrived here regardless and offered to free me.]

"Exactly." I could feel his will to become subordinate to me, but as I tried to extend my dominance over him, I found myself blocked by a wall. It stopped my power dead in its tracks, frustrating me as I couldn't break through it.

[Hm?]

I extended the mana of Jinma around me, focusing on the giant spider. Within the dense and pure mana the spider held within itself, I found something impure—the answer as to why I was stopped.

"Is there someone else here?" I lifted my head to gaze at the huge temple behind him. I could feel the same ominous mana that was in the final boss room of the Black Palace seeping out from it. It was a place where I would have to face the risk of more than just some severe injury, a place full of beings like this giant spider facing me.

[Do you know about red blood?]

Red blood. A memory tickled the back of my mind, of the final floor of the Black palace. The item I obtained from defeating the Bloody Arachne, that high-level monster, was the Red Blood Spider Key.

"I think I know how I ended up here now." I showed him the key from my inventory, his four pairs of eyes flashing in recognition.

[I see. It must be fate, then.]

The spider paused for a moment, lost briefly in thought.

[The Red Blood clan is at the core of the great spiders that have maintained its reputation throughout the history of demons. They are known for their powerful forms, noble intelligence, and immense magical power.]

"I see."

[The Red Blood predicted that there would be a calamity, at the end of which only destruction awaited. They were convinced that the balance between the elves and demons would be distorted by this Great Fusion that you mentioned, so they made attempts to prevent it. But they failed terribly.]

They, just like the elves, attempted to refuse the Great Fusion. It made me wonder if some sort of agreement really couldn't be made between the two.

[They were intelligent but arrogant. They became overconfident and refused to trust others. I broke their laws and did something I was told not to do, and thus they cast me out and confined me here.]

My ears perked up at this part of his story.

[As such, I was the only one who avoided the disaster. But, as you see, I couldn't escape from my binds here.]

"Then, this key…?"

[I can only guess, but it was probably the last attempt at resistance for those who failed. Maybe, they wanted to leave a chance at salvation for me.]

The spider's words were bitter. For me, it was a story of an enemy I had to fight from now on, but to him, it was much more personal. While I was struggling to live, this spider was struggling in endless despair. It was a reminder to me that the Great Fusion had influenced more than just me and humanity. I couldn't solve everyone's problems, though, nor did I intend to try. But this one person right in front of me, I could help. I just needed to be stronger.

[You might be able to do it. Please bring rest to the foolish ones.]

"I'll be back." I unsheathed the Twilight Sword and held the web key, on my other hand, using the power of Reaper on myself as I stepped forward.

[What an exciting stealth technique.]

"It's not quite the same as hiding." I took another step, but it was like I wasn't even there. There was only a specter of death. I couldn't be too vigilant against monsters of the higher system, after all, especially not other demons. I was not too proud to act cautiously, especially given how dangerous I could feel this place was. I inserted the key into the iron gate that blocked the dungeon- Daishinjeon. The key melted into the door as they swung slowly open.

[May your sword guide you well.]

I entered without hesitation, confident no one would notice me.

[Kyahahaha!]

A spider leg as sharp as a spear-tip flew toward me, too fast for the eye to register. Rather, it was aiming right at the Reaper skill instead of me. 'Does Reaper not work against higher-level entities?' I wondered if that was the case as I stepped forward, the spider leg passing through where I had been, breaking the ground. Another attack came in right away, but it felt duller than the first blow. It felt like a casual attack that had no intent to kill.

The monster didn't know my position; they had simply guessed the path and intruder would take and launched an attack. The entrance was narrow, and the path one could take was limited, so it shouldn't be surprising that it had appeared that they tried to hit me directly. But after I succeeded in evading the first blow and entering the temple completely, I had many options where I could go.

[Kyaah! Kyaah!]

I moved forward, gathering information on my enemies. Content once I had done that, I used Ubiquitous to jump ahead. A moment later, spider legs came from every direction, attacking the alter ego I left behind in my place. The alter ego exploded in a flash of light, bringing the dark dungeon into the realm of day for an instant.

[Kiaahhh!]

The light was brief, but at that moment, my ability to sense exerted its power to its limit and engraved all the information it collected into my mind. It didn't just make me aware of my surroundings; it felt like it also made me better working in the darkness I found myself back in. The darkness in which Reaper could show its greatest power.

[Gyaah!]

Though the spiders were accustomed to the darkness, they could not find me hidden in the shadows. They made harsh, crackling sounds and spewed webs all over. The webs had the powerful mana expected from higher-level entities, filling all sides of the room so that there could be no escape. They made it so I couldn't help but come into contact with one, but I knew if I did, I would get caught. Their aggressive mana would dig into my body and soul, destroying everything it touched. If I didn't move, I would get hit by the web, but if I moved, I would get hit by the leg that would predict my movement. The Red Blood clan had powerful short and long-range attacks, as well as the ability to coordinate in a group. They were strong enemies, for sure, but they would be easier to deal with if I could reduce their numbers.

'Alright.' I pushed my worries out of my mind and got to work. I began to exude my dark smoke around the spider webs, not to devour them but to activate them. The two manas collided, causing a silent explosion of magic. It took me a large amount of mana to manage it, but there was prey everywhere. Right now, I had to focus on maintaining the power of Reaper and start culling their numbers without being noticed.

[Kigahhh!]

[Kishaaa!]

The effect was better than I expected. The energies mixed together and began to hinder the spiders' ability to move, their legs floating in the air as I focused my counterattack on that gap I made. I used Ubiquitous to move, leaving an alter ego with the power of Predation behind each time. Using these high-level skills continuously, I burned through my mana like no one's business. Spider webs continued to fill the room, exploding as soon as they came into contact with my mana. The spiders were descending from the ceiling to attack me. With the explosions caused by the collision of our mana, and continually using Lunatic Trickster with the materials I saved, I was gradually turning their home turf into my territory. My mana that filled the air with didn't just disappear; it remained in the air to transform the area into something I owned.

[Kiiii!]

I cut through five of the spider legs at once, the dark smoke around me immediately swallowing them whole. It had a sweet taste to it; the flesh of an enemy equal to me was so pleasant to devour.

[Kyak!]

[Kyasha!]

The spider that lost its legs collapsed on the ground, falling onto another's web. This was the moment I had been waiting for when the order among the spiders was disrupted. I put the energy of Reaper in my sword, combining it with all the other techniques I had learned. I slashed out with my sword into the giant spider's head before me, cleaving through it. My Predation left not a drop of blood as it greedily consumed the fallen spider.

[You have gained 34 experience.]

[You received 119 gold.]

[You obtained a Red Blood Shell.]

[New Magic has increased by 1.]

Even without checking the notification window, I was sure that I succeeded in taking a step forward—the first one since I evolved. The feeling of anxiety that came about from stagnating vanished and my body felt lighter. Mana overflowed from me, making me even faster. I slashed out with my sword once more, severing the webs and the legs of spiders alike. Their numbers began to decline quickly.

[You have gained 31 experience.]

[You have gained 36 experience.]

[Level up!]

I took a deep breath, filled with joy at having gained a level already. Even with just one level, I could tell that the increase in my ability was incomparable. I finally succeeded in taking this step forward, and this army of spiders was there to aid me in it. I was so happy I could kiss them.

I stepped forward, intent on keeping my promise with the spider outside.

Chapter 96: Rebellion 5

Demon King

Rebellion – 5

'Is the entire Red Blood clan in this temple? Did they all only endure with the power of their mana this entire time? That would be ridiculous.'

Daishinjeon was a vast and odd structure, built to fit a spider's body but not a human's. As such, the corridor and ceiling were functionally indistinguishable as the spiders would have no problem walking anywhere throughout the temple. It was only natural they would have passages there meant only for them.

[Kiaahh!]

[You have gained 41 experience.]

[You have received 49 gold.]

[You have obtained a Red Blood Web.]

I wondered what kind of power other higher-level entities would have, and now in fighting these giant spiders, I was able to get some answers. They must have had more abilities once, but after losing their intelligence and becoming monsters, their power was now focused on their webs. The Spider's Web was a powerful magical attack that could ignore the laws of physics and change its properties at will. It was remarkably similar to Jinma's mana in a lot of regards, but ultimately it sacrificed the range of applications Jinma's mana had for sheer power. I idly wondered how I could use it myself.

"Die." After my evolution, I now had to control the balance between using Reaper and restoring my mana with Predation, which I hadn't been able to use until now, without a break. It was working, though, as bit by bit, the energy I spread out created gaps between the spiders.

[Kiahhh!]

Reaper was a combat, stealth, and movement skill, as well as a skill related to all actions in killing the enemy. Unlike Jinma's mana, it was my skill born through hard work and merit. It was a special skill born from all the power I gained since starting out as a goblin. Additionally, it was the skill helping me in gaining the upper hand over dozens of higher-level enemies, something that wouldn't have been possible with just Jinma's mana and Predation.

[Reaper became Lv2. You have gained a deeper understanding of death and have learned how to avoid it easier.]

It felt less like I gained a level and more like I had taken a step toward completing myself. Leveling up the skill increased the power of all the skills related to it and my characteristics that formed its essence.

[Level up!]

I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy to finally be leveling up, but the psychological pressure that had been bearing down upon me since I evolved still didn't subside as I went deeper into the temple. The monsters of the Red Blood clan kept appearing and swarming after me, seemingly endless in numbers.

[Kyahahah!]

'This space is too wide.' The battle reminded me of the mass haunts that would happen in the dungeon. Daishinjeon was wide like that place had been, and the spiders kept coming just like those undead had.

[Level up!]

I kept swinging my sword, no longer thinking of when this battle might end. A single stray thought would have been enough for a lethal blow to make its way through. Instead, I focused on expanding my sensory range to secure a safe place to move to with Ubiquitous and evading the spider webs.

[You gained 58 experience.]

[You have received 51 gold.]

[You have obtained a Red Blood Web.]

[You have obtained a Red Blood Shell.]

Amid this frantic fight, I suddenly felt tranquil as I tore through another spider's abdomen. There were no more enemies in my detection range, and as I raised my head to look around, I noticed the temple was suddenly changing. It was because the spiders had all been killed that changes were taking place. The wide passage began to narrow, little by little, and something beyond it was approaching me. What awaited me was a huge, absolutely massive statue.

This must have been some magic they prepared in response to their death. Maybe it was their dying wish to the one who held the Web Key. If a human had obtained it instead, this temple would have remained closed forever. Or perhaps they had some sort of plan that I didn't know about. As I considered this, the distance between myself and the statue gradually decreased. I didn't even need to come forward; it was coming to me.

A temple is a place dedicated to worshipping a god or something similar. According to the giant spider's words, the Red Blood clan was a race with high intelligence and strong magical ability. I couldn't help but wonder what sort of existence they might have admired in the past. I was curious, but that didn't fully overtake my suspicion. I had already learned to be vigilant and was on the lookout for the statue as it approached me. Keeping an eye on the statue, I decided to check how my status had improved after fighting for more than two days.

[Fate]

[Belkena Lv8]

[New Magic – 78, Soul Magic – 126, Luck-???]

[Skill- Predation Lv1, Reaper Lv2, Lunatic Trickster Lv1, Ubiquitous Lv2, Domination Lv1, Blackmine Lv1, Belkena Spell Lv2]

I was level 8. If that had been my progress from before, I would have laughed, but now I had been reborn as a Belkena. My new magic increased by 52, and my soul magic by 87. It seemed like a small number, but I could tell how much power was now overflowing from my body. Pulling out of my contemplation, I noticed the statue had stopped. It was an enormous red statue, right in the middle of the passage ahead of me.

'What is it made of?' I approached it with that question, examining it closer. It was made of some sort of stone that radiated a subtle light, and I wondered how expensive it might be. Its face was unrecognizable, and his body wasn't particularly large. He was wearing some sort of light cloak, held a greatsword in one hand, and some kind of hook in the other. 'It's odd it has no specific features. Shouldn't a god have his own personality?'

The light from the statue intensified, and I heard a sound.

[Thank you for coming here, great one.]

"…" I couldn't tell if it was meant for me or someone else, or if it was even a conscious voice or some sort of magical recording, so I decided to keep quiet.

[Our attempts met only failure and frustration, and I couldn't find the solution. So I asked a great person to do the work for me.]

'Does he mean killing all those spiders left? It made me stronger, so I'm thankful if that's the case.'

[I sent the key to the great one so that you may finish what those who have lost their strength cannot.]

The light from the statue only grew as I focused on the voice I could hear, withholding judgment for now.

[He who returns to the Elyos will only grow stronger. In order to usurp the king, he will have to kill everyone except himself.]

'Elyos? Does he mean an elf? What does he mean?' The statue's size began to reduce as it was fully engulfed in the light now.

[The Great Fusion was meant to be the end, but the great one has made it a new beginning. Thus, we shall stand with him.]

The statue, which had initially been large enough to reach the ceiling, had reduced in size to be about as big as my fist. No, it wasn't a statue anymore. It was being reconstructed according to the mana of the higher-level entity that remained in this temple. I felt some sort of potential from it. If I ate it, it would definitely make me stronger, but the potential I felt from it would disappear.

[The wish of our people to prosper will surely come.]

The light slowly faded away with the voice, leaving a red crystal in place of the statue. It was beautiful, with a spider web pattern engraved inside of it. I recalled something I had collected in my inventory and went to bring it out. Before I could, I sensed spiders approaching me from all angles.

[I think a little differently.]

I grabbed the crystal and leaped forward with Ubiquitous. However, a sharp sickle-like object fell toward where I jumped to. It was the leg of a giant spider.

[It is not a beginning, but compliance and defeat. You, who have lost all your strength and memories, are no longer a great one.]

"You…" I blocked the attack with my greatsword. I had killed all of the spiders within the temple and even claimed the statue that just transformed into a crystal. Therefore, nothing should be stopping me from using my Domination skill. But, in front of me was the giant spider that agreed to become my subordinate, and my Domination skill was useless against him, which meant that right now, he was refusing to become my subordinate. Listening to his words, it sounded like that was not the only lie he told.

"Did you know me from the start?"

[There is only one person who could come by that key, so I knew you the moment I saw it. You are the one our clan served, the one who failed miserably and was deprived of their strength. That is who you are.]

Indeed, I had been completely deceived by this guy. However, it didn't bother me too much, as I had been planning on entering the temple from the start.

[You cannot beat them, it will only happen again. And the greater the fight will be, the greater the underground will suffer. I will not let you leave.]

I could feel his overwhelming flow of mana. He had been truthful when he had said the Red Blood clan had high-level magic. Before I was aware of it, countless wind blades rushed toward me, streams of lightning crackling off of them and licking at my face as I evaded with Ubiquitous. Even though I had been using Reaper, he knew where I would go.

[Your stealth won't work on me. Your powers have not escaped the lower level; do you really think they can fool a higher-level entity? How pathetic.]

Thinking about it, he said it was a great stealth skill when I used it to enter the temple. I thought it was simple admiration, but it wasn't. He had been looking straight at me back then, and I should've realized it sooner. The entire temple was now shaking from his mana; the spider webs filled the spaces where I could move. That was a weakness of Ubiquitous; I could not move to a place that already had something there. What was more impressive was that this one spider succeeded in cutting me off when dozens of them had failed to do so before.

[Did you really think you defeated the strongest of our clan?]

He didn't halt his attack even while talking to me. Explosions sounded off as the spider webs he used still had the same properties as the other ones when it contacted my mana.

[I am sorry for those who left everything to you. Had I been able to open the door to the temple, they would not have suffered such humiliation. You must atone with your life!]

The elements attacked me, summoned forth by this spider at a speed I could not fully avoid with Ubiquitous. I had to admit that I was facing a higher-level entity now. I stowed the crystal containing the essence of the Red Blood clan in my inventory, deciding it would be safer there for now, and let my Wings of Jinma spread out wide. As he had said, I couldn't exert the power of a higher entity yet. That feeling of becoming more and more of a whole as Reaper leveled up was all too accurate. But even though he was able to see through it, he didn't fully understand it.

I would have to thank him for teaching me how to fight as a proper higher-level entity. I raised the energy of Predation and put it into my wings as countless types of magic collided with me and damaged my body. However, the energy of Predation began to eat away at the strong mana, swallowing, and digesting it to repair my body. I thought it would be impossible to eat someone else's mana, but it wasn't. It was no different from everything else I had devoured. I couldn't devour everything, however, as Predation's level was relatively low still.

[To think the ability of the great one has fallen to this extent!]

I made full use of Ubiquitous to move forward. It wasn't just me leaping through space; it was my ability to be there by him and stay there. He was quick in retaliating with his own power, death swelling in the area around me. I pulled Reaper around me, remembering its ability to help me evade death.

[I said your stealth wouldn't work!]

Several spider legs flew in toward me, but I stepped forward and raised my sword. It cut through the spider's legs and webs, erasing them entirely as it continued to pierce the giant spider's body.

[What?!]

The spider's legs began to slowly erode, as did the webs. I raised up my greatsword and stabbed into its eyes.

"I'm not using a stealth skill."