180 Chapter 157: Yorm Branch

The Demon Human War was a devastating event in history, bringing about suffering of both demon and human kind for nearly 50 years.

Both sides wished for a miracle to end their suffering. These wishes came from those who didn't fight, they were from those who had to watch the war unfold and hope that their side wins.

The Demon King was still in slumber, unable to wreak havoc upon the world of humans. The Watcher Demon in charge of taking care of the slumbering King could hear her wishes and orders while she slumbers. He relayed her orders to the three demon lords who were leading the war that Peulik started.

It was said that some kind of mind control was the reason why Peulik opened the portals to the demon world, allowing demons to come to the world. People had many speculations as to who cast the mind control on him. Many suspected that the Demon King did it from its slumber but that was never proven to be true.

The war continued for years, with no obvious victor.

The demons had no King and the humans had no Hero. Both sides were at a stalemate. It was hard to tell which side will win.

"However, everything changed when he appeared. Born from the ashes of his mother's burnt corpse was a demon that would be known throughout the Demon World as the Failed King. His name was Oriel Seir, the fourth demon lord. A Great Demon from the Metal Eater Demon clan."

'Demon lords never had their own backstory in the game.' Since that was the case, Arnold was never able to find out more about the demon lords.

Of course, that never stopped the fandom from creating their own stories.  

"So, what makes this demon lord a failed king exactly?" he asked the undead.

"You must first hear why many called him a King to understand his full story. Oriel conquered countless humanoid settlements, seized many kingdoms and enslaved millions. The demons could not ask for a better leader while their true King slumbers. Oriel was the true champion of the demons. He had the respect and fear of his people. Humans could not hope to win without their moonlight. Similarly, demons thought the same before Oriel seized leadership. Oriel believed that a King is not born but forged by battle. Most of his people didn't agree with this ideology. While they revered him, they still needed to keep a watchful eye on him. He could annihilate them all if they showed aggression. Of course, not everyone disagreed with his ideology either. Those who agreed followed his every will.

Some years passed and the King was born. As with the birth of every King, her demon lords were the first beings she saw when she opened her eyes for the first time. This is to see their strength and decide whether or not they're capable of helping her rule the humans. All of them passed. The Demon King was a ferocious ruler, not sparing anyone who dared showed resistance, even her own people if they sided with the humans. Oriel's death came shortly before the Hero was born."

"...How did he die?"

Arnold wanted to ask how the undead knew all this but finding out about this Oriel was more important.

"It took the hands of the Demon King and her three demon lords to stop that walking calamity. He had powers capable of killing gods. If the Demon King left him to his own devices then he would've taken her throne that was rightfully hers as a Demon Monarch. It was a devastating battle, one that no human will ever know of."

"Did the humans find out about his death?"

"The humans of that time, yes. But humans have forgotten the tale of Oriel, the Failed King, a great warrior who challenged a trueborn monarch and nearly won. Humans of this era only know about the three demon lords that exist today. They've even forgotten that the King is not a man, but a female-born monarch."

"You talk as if you're from my world."

"Kakaka, I was found out~ Yes, I know where you're from. I was once a merchant who sold his goods even in the wake of war. Can you believe that I died of old age? Kakaka."

"How did you get the power to jump worlds?"

"I'm a product of destiny. Destiny gave me this power. Just as destiny has twisted fate for you."

"?"

"Do you think it's a mere coincidence that you not only received the armor but also the sword of the Failed King? Destiny has given the Failed King a second chance. Will you let it control your fate?"

This all happened because he pulled that Star Draw.   

Star Draws work using algorithms that'll benefit the one using the draw. It's an A.I system that used the game's data to predict outcomes and the data of the user's adversaries. Arnold needed power in that moment against his fight with Lancelot. His prayers were answered but he was left with the soul of a demon lord. 

"Why was his clan called the Metal Eaters?"

"Do you see the metal on that helm?"

Arnold looked at the helmet.

"What of it?"

"It can withstand a great deal of force even from Star artifacts. It was not crafted by regular metal nor enchanted metal. It was crafted using the excretion of Oriel's people. This particular armor was created by Oriel himself."

"….." Arnold's face twisted in disgust, "…You're joking, right?"

"I'm not. His people have strong stomach acids that can reinforce any sort of metal. An iron ore excreted from them can take ten times the amount of force that regular iron can before taking damage. Oriel's armor is made from a mineral much stronger than dragonsteel."

"And they just wear their shit?" Arnold asked in disgust.

He wanted to throw the helmet to the side.

"Yes. Demon Lords always need protection for battle so he never went to battle without his armor. Oh, right. I do in fact have something that can identify curses. It can also detect the type of curse."

"Alright. Give it to me."

The undead took out a darkish purple egg.

"It's not for sale so you will need to remove the curse before you leave this shrine."

The egg had a nose, mouth and two eyes. Instead of a normal face, it had a deformed one. None of its facial features were in the right place. Its nose was on its forehead, right above one of its eyes and its ears were where its nose and left eye was supposed to be.

The undead held the egg above the helm.

The egg's face suddenly twisted in anguish.

"RAGE! RAGE! HATEFUL RAGE!" it screamed.

"W-What the hell!?" Arnold jumped back in surprise.

"Kakaka, I apologize for its screaming. That is how it talks."

"…What does it mean by hateful rage?"

'Fuck, warn me next time.'

"It seems the previous wearer's emotions are still lingering within his suit of armor. Have you ever seen visions of the previous wearer's armor moving on its own or taking over your body?"

"I don't… Wait…" Arnold suddenly recalled a certain night, "…Soon. It said it will see its master in its full glory soon."

"So, you've seen the manifestation of Oriel's hate and rage. Kakaka, I think you know what this means, right?"

"…." Arnold nodded.

"If the Demon King, Arsnoria were to find out that you harbor the soul of her enemy then…"

"I'll be killed."

The undead nodded before continuing, "A factor and its King are drawn towards one another by fate. In other words, whether you like it or not, you will meet with her one way or another. It is the fate that links demon lords to their King."

"And… what if I meet her but she actually doesn't want to kill me?"

"The Demon King is a magnanimous being. She is not as monstrous as you humans may think. However, the one crime that will always result in death is aiming for her throne."

"…."

"It's either death or you'll be enslaved while Oriel is still weak. That is, unless you find a way to rid yourself of his soul."

"How do I get rid of my factor?"

"Ohoho! You possess such power but you wish to dispose of it? I'm sure it helped you many times in the past."

"It has but… I knew something was wrong with this power since the very beginning."

Each time he uses it his soul becomes weaker and weaker until it can't keep Oriel's soul contained. In the end he'll become the next Oriel.

There had never been a case like this before in the past. Other factors can control their power just fine once they've bloomed. The demon lords they inherit just fade out of existence while they get the demon's powers.

But Arnold will slowly lose his humanity with each use. Looking at it from another perspective, it seemed fair, right? He receives power while Oriel's soul grows by the day to overwhelm his soul.  

He was just paying his debt.

"It's an unstable power that I can't use for long…. It's possible to remove his soul, right? How will I do that?"

"Death is the easiest way."

A shadow loomed over Arnold's face.

"Or have a greater soul swallow up the demon lord's soul." Arnold ears perked up at this, "I doubt a mortal's soul can have any effect on a demigod or god-level being."

His hopes were quickly shattered.

'I'm destined to become the Failed King…'

"Could someone on the level of a god's champion overwhelm a demon lord's soul?"

Arnold and Luke are equals in terms of potential. If Luke could somehow overwhelm a demon lord's soul then so can Arnold. This was purely hypothetical since Luke's karma was insanely high. It was probably in the thousands.

"Kahaha, of course not! A mortal soul's nature isn't determined by its host's own strength. If the host is a human then the nature of the soul will stay human. Divine souls are the only exception to this."

Arnold recalled the "Demon Lord Arnold" he saw in the abyss. The shape of its ring was still vivid in his mind.

That was the thing he'll become. A mindless slave to Arsnoria.

"What if I stop using the power? Will that make a difference?"

"No, the damage has been done. You've laid the foundation. All Oriel has to do is build something with that foundation. He can take over your body when you sleep and cause your soul to weaken all on its own without you knowing about it. A demon lord's soul is much more powerful than a human's soul. The only being I can think of that can rival or surpass a demon lord soul is a dragon lord."

"Dragon lord…"

"They are the gods of the mortal realm, possessing immortality and immense strength. It's not a stretch to call them gods themselves, though they lack the ability to pass down their powers."

"…I'm assuming it's impossible to get one?"

"Kahahahaha! Unless you challenge a dragon lord and kill it! Regardless if you are brave enough to do it or not, only dragonkins are capable of absorbing dragon souls. Are you a dragonkin like the Taelith family members? I guess not since you are not a Taelith!" the undead's jaws moved as it cackled.

It was believed that the members of the Taelith household were descendants of the Black Dragon Lord. It was hailed as one of the strongest dragon lords in the Dragon Lord Council.

The Dragon Lords vowed to never plant their seeds in humans or allow humans to plan their seed in them. There were two reasons for this: It was rare to find females with the right eggs and men with strong seed. The dragon lord's egg or sperm cell will engulf and destroy anything that tries to merge with them which prevents any reproductive processes from taking place. The sperm or egg simply melts away into nothingness.

The second reason was that—on the rare occasion that a human does have the right seed or eggs to make children—it was highly possible that their young will turn on them once they've grown strong enough. Humans might be the weakest race of all in terms of biology but they have unlimited potential.

Luke(a human) was born a Hero, a being that far surpasses the Dragon Lords in might.

Several humans attained the title Archmage, a being that could rival the dragon lords.

Now what if a dragon lord were to find the perfect human to bear their children or give them children? It was possible for that human to become a walking disaster. They could become a force that's equal to a Hero.

That's why humans are so feared by beings in power.  

The Black Dragon Lord was the only one to break their rule. However, what they've feared hasn't come to pass. Yet.

It was possible for the members of the Taelith family to absorb dragon souls, which in turn makes them stronger or gives them many abilities.

Arnold wasn't from that family so he had no means of absorbing the soul of a dragon. Even if he did, how ridiculous would it be if he actually challenged a dragon lord?

Arnold sat up against a nearby rock. The helm and sword vanished.

"….."

He looked up at the sky.

"My fate has already been decided, huh…"

Be that as it may, becoming the puppet of humanity's sworn enemy wasn't on his list of things to do.

"Is there at least a way to see how much his soul has grown?"

"There exists a spell that can see souls. It can only be cast by skilled magicians. But if I were you then I wouldn't tell anyone that I have a soul of the most powerful demon lord to ever exist. You will be seen as a weapon for war. Demon factors were viewed as these objects in the past but most people on the continent of Diacree have changed how they see these people. It's neither in a good or bad light. So long as they remain neutral then they won't become meat slaves or experimentation projects to countries."

"So, I have to find both a skilled mage and someone I can trust?"

He only knew two very skilled mages personally. However, the part about trusting them is a little tricky.

One was violated by him every day as his slave. Her death flag vanished but that doesn't mean that her relationship with Arnold was that of master and servant. The other was a girl he met at the guild who doesn't yet know his true identity.

Arnold sighed.

'I can't ask Freya either. The two of us barely know each other.'

They barely had a platonic relationship. He was less of an acquaintance to her.

What about his mother then?

'No. She'll lose her mind if she finds out that her son is a lord factor.'

She was an elite mage, a professional skilled at many spells. The reason elite mages were made a profession was to serve as opposition to demons at first. That was during the great war between humans and demons. Their priority in this era is to fight calamities that normal humans can't hope to face.

That includes demon lords. 

Adrianna might not be able to keep silent about this. The first one she'll tell is his father. All hell will break loose if Marcus finds out.

'Knowing him, he'll probably try and force the demon lord to come out so that he can kill it.'

Arnold knew that it wasn't as simple as bringing Oriel out and killing him.

'I shouldn't trust Mother at all…'

He could always try to deceive either Elora or Lauran. Playing the victim and gaining their sympathy was easy.

Elora seemed to see Nova as a big brother or father figure so she'll do whatever it takes to save or help him.

Lauran was a different case. He caused her suffering, however, he was also the one who saved her life and brought her family out of poverty. Her father's store was no longer considered a Black Store anymore.

She owes him. No, it's safe to say that her parents owe him.

'If I'm to use Lauran then I'll need to meet with her parents first… They can do the persuading for me.' Arnold stood up and dusted off his pants.

"Have you finally made up your mind on what to do to ensure the demon lord soul doesn't overwhelm your own?"

"I guess so. If I can determine how far the soul has grown then I can find out if it's safe to continue using Oriel's power."

"I see. The spell you need can be found in many advanced tier arcane books. I suggest any academy's library. Look for a spell named [Perceive Beyond]."

"Okay."

'Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I went to see Lyra. I should go see her once I return to the empire.'

Lyra would've been another option if only her powers weren't limited. Being the Queen of an entire magic race means having both the strongest magic and the fear and love of her people. Who knows? She was probably close to the Archmage Peulik in strength during the war. Of course, she was but a mere shell of her former self.

"Now then, will you buy my goods before going back to your lover?"

"Haaa…" he decided to let the misunderstanding continue, "Give me the wizard finger thing. Which magic items do you suggest to increase one's maximum mana pool?"

"I have some items that can help with increasing mana pools. But if you want some quality artifacts then I suggest going to the Deeper Ground."

'This bastard knows quite a lot about Diacree continent.'

Deeper Ground was the relic tomb underneath the Great Ridge. It was difficult to descend into the cavern. Many people overestimate its depth. People claim that magic spells like Fly doesn't work in the darkness and it's impossible to descend using a rope since unknown creatures cut it off and feast on your corpse when you fall.

This misconception left the relic tomb beneath the surface untouched by man for decades.

"What can I find there?"

Lufulur was already level 100 by the time he found out about the relic tomb and had no interest in going down there since there's no reason to grind for powerful artifacts.

The undead answered Arnold's question, "I recommend searching for the Staff of Urion."

'Isn't that…' The name rang a bell, 'Isn't that Lufulur's staff?'

It was the staff he stole from another guild's HQ after they raided that guild's base. It was his main staff for casting powerful arcane spells. Most staves couldn't handle his high intelligence and magic attack stats so it was hard for him to cast powerful spells without breaking a few staves along the way. That staff was different.

It was classified as one of the Guild Weapons just like Alecs' Divine Sword.

'So it came from the Great Ridge, eh.'

It was speculated that the Great Ridge was once a mountain that split into two during the Demon Human War. The mountain's split caused the relic tomb below it to become completely inaccessible. The mountain had tunnels that led to the relic tomb but the tunnels and caves were destroyed during the split.

"Urion was a wizard whose name no one remembers. No one knows that he was the one to create the runic language you know today. Runic patterns allows you to draw magic circles much easier which was difficult to do before he was born. When people hear 'the greatest magic user in history' they often mistake the Archmage for that title. But he contributed more to magic than any of the Archmages."

Urion can be classified as the father of modern day magic arts.

"I know who Urion is. He was also the first human to discover the relic tomb below the Great Ridge."

"Exactly. He found several artifacts inside that relic tomb. He spread each of them throughout the relic tombs and dungeons on Diacree. If he left everything in one place then it would take the fun out of going out on adventures. The staff's location is currently the only one that I know of."

"It's fine."

Arnold definitely needed a powerful staff if he wants to attain the same power he had in the game. If one were to compare him to Freya York then he's twice as strong as her and a little weaker than peak Lauran. 

What made Lufulur strong wasn't just the character's plethora of spells that wasn't just limited to arcane, what made him strong was his mastery of his magic equipment. His sorcerer build could probably annihilate Lauran on most occasions if he PvP'ed her by playing the smart way.

In order to obtain the same level of strength, Arnold had to increase his mana pool and find a way to add "Intelligence" to his status. Intelligence will allow his current body to get accustomed to all sorts of spells as he levels it up. Luckily, he knows how to increase the stat but not how to get it.

It was probably impossible for him to use the same sorcerer build or even magician build since his body was forged for close quarters combat by Sebas.

Still, having the equipment can help him with his feeble mana pool and magic attack power.

Arnold took out a black notebook and wrote the staff's name down so that he won't forget.

'If that staff is still in the Deeper Ground tomb then this solidifies my conclusion that I'm in the game's early years.'

The game didn't have a lot of players at first but cheaters were rampant. That was why so few people actually played the game. It was rare to even find more than a thousand people on the game every month. The 100 beta testers played the game on special servers exclusive to them so they never interacted with the players outside their servers.

The special servers were originally supposed to make it easier to keep track of the beta testers' testing of the game but it soon became a safe haven from cheating.

Cheaters caused a lot of trouble for the company. No one likes a game that could easily be cheated by anyone. Arnold wouldn't be surprised if they had shown up in the past before the game became reality.

Considering how NPCs like Rafaela and the disciples know about players, it's safe to say that players left behind quite a lot of evidence that they were here. It might even be subtle hints just like how the staff was still at its original location.

"Say, have you heard of an item that can transport its user to a specific location? It's a consumable."

"You must be referring to a Yorm Branch. I have several on hand."

"Yorm Branch… Yorm is the gatekeeper of the Nine Realms, right?"

"Yes. I traverse through the realms often in search of items and materials to sell to my customers. Yorm grows her own garden near one of the gates. She is an enchantress so she was able to apply teleportation magic to the branches that fall from one of her trees."

"Are there limits to where the item can take you?"

"No. The distance doesn't matter. It can also transport any number of people to wherever they want to go."

"So it's not just limited to safe zones…"

"No. But if you want to go to a safe zone then you'll need to mark the safe zone using the branch's own power. Safe zones don't allow teleportation so you'll be teleported right next to it."

"Oh…"

'It seems Tanaera's knowledge of these items was lacking a bit.'   

"How much is it?"

"Each of them is 1 karma. But I will sell them to you for half the price."

A light manifested above the undead's hand. A single glowing object landed in his hand. It looked similar to a branch with a single leaf on the end.

The undead put the branch in a sack along with the "Wizard's Little Finger".

"Do you have any potions that will be suitable in battle?" Arnold asked after putting the sack into his magic bag.

"I have several. Which would you like? I have strength and stamina boosters, perfect for warriors such as yourself."

The undead waved his hand. Two potions appeared in his hand.  

Arnold took out the hologram card.

·        Yorm's Potion of Stamina(Semi-Star Grade)

·        Yorm's Potion of Increased Strength(Semi-Star Grade)

Seeing as how the potions are ranked using the god system, it's likely that Yorm is either a demigod or a god. Arnold's heard of her in the game. She protects the gate that leads to the divine realm. That was the same realm that Tanaera was from.

She wasn't that important to the storyline of the DLC but she does provide some side quests to the hero. Completing the quests will either earn you one of her most rarest potions or something that's even rarer than any other item in the game:

The Ascension Pill. It's a type of pill that can drastically affect one's body. Your meridian's—which is the core of a warrior's strength—expands, allowing more aura or Ki to fill it. Your body gets stronger and can handle previously set limits like they were nothing.

Many players used this pill to cheat their way to the level cap. Hackers even used the pill's item code to spawn several and sell it to newbies. It didn't last long since high-level players shut their business down.

The devs decided to make the item even rarer due to the drastic changes that the Ascension Pill does to one's body. 

'Does Yorm still offer the pill if you complete her quests?'

Something like that would help him out a lot. It'll help him get past level 60 faster. His goal right now was to get to level 70. It'll be hard but worth it.  

"Do you need anything else?" the undead asked.

"Have you ever heard of a pure martial arts book in one of these dungeon worlds?"

"I've heard some rumors."

Arnold smiled when he heard that.