Chapter 272

Chapter 272

After what feels like a hot sword thrust through my chest and an electric shock rippling through my body, I hit the ground struggling to breathe.

Shock and confusion fill my mind as the room's colors fade to black and white again.

"W-What's going on...?"

The last few seconds of this battle are mostly a blur, but I'm positive I won.

I defeated the Arch Demon, and it told me everything I wanted to know. This doesn't make any sense.

Actually, now that I have a moment to think... nothing that demon said makes any sense.

It's sending a message across the abyss? Demonic Energy being the pinnacle of Demon's power? The King is trying to take over this world?

Also... the fact that I wasn't able to sense any mana while wielding this new skill and defeated a Labyrinth Guardian with a single attack is mind-boggling.

With so many unanswered questions swirling around in my head, it makes it difficult to focus on the real problem at hand.

The grip on both of my blades loosens, and my knees rest on the cold hard floor of the Boss Room.

Yellow and white lights still crackle from the tips of the two weapons. My eyes widen as the reactions slowly start to grow. It looks exactly like the result of mana and demonic energy canceling each other out.

*Clink*

In the same moment, a palm-sized black sphere falls to the floor in front of me out of a dissolving pile of ash. Blue text hovers above it.

[Arch Demon's Core] +100% All Stats

Letting go of my weapons, I grab the orb and it instantly sinks into my palm just like the previous one I bonded with. The stat boosts are immediate, and the natural perception additions are very noticeable.

Before I can enjoy this moment in my dazed state, the sharp pain in my chest comes back. This time around it's even more intense. I can feel a headache coming on too.

I rest both hands on the floor and watch another dark black line appear on my other forearm. It winds up to my shoulder and curves to my chest. I can only assume my eyes have grown much lighter after this core absorption too.

My gaze darts back and forth as I try to catch my breath and stand to my feet. The sword and dagger I left on the ground are crackling and popping with sparks. The reactions are only growing, so all I can think to do is open my item storage system and put them inside.

The white spatial magic portal opens and a voice enters my ears as Ember flies down from the sky with a shiny silver amulet hanging from his mouth.

"Stop."

I look up and appraise the item he's holding on instinct.

[Platinum Amulet of Frost] +137% Mental Strength +90% Ice Magic

The sharp pain in my chest returns, but bare it without falling over. It keeps coming back every time I use magic.

Ember keeps speaking.

"That was horribly reckless, but I believe it may have been one of the best options to secure a guaranteed victory."

I grit my teeth while nodding and look up at the enormous ranked-up dragon that lands in front of me on the hard ground. He's excited about this new upgrade, but the worried expression tells me now isn't the time to celebrate.

I use self regeneration on my full body and dump out an HP potion from my item box to attempt to heal whatever is making this horrible pain.

Once all the shimmering green liquid from the bottle disappears, I feel as good as new...

Sporting a grin I let out a sigh and use telekinesis to grab the swords on the ground, as well as the golem cores I disconnected from during my match earlier.

"I'm alright."

I open up my storage portal wide.

"Come on, the transfer magic will activate soon. It's best to-"

Again, the world around me pusles back and white and I fall to the dungeon floor.

Ember speaks.

Grade: [Special Grade]

[Upgrade]

____________

My eyes open wide as another blue text box shines in front of my eyes

[Use Hibernation]

Cure: Mana Fatigue[Jay Soju], Demonic Energy Poisoning [Jay Soju, Flame Emperor's Sword, Wind Tyrant's Dagger]

Cost: 523.06k MP

Time: 9.2 Days

[YES][NO]

"I got it."

If I accept right now, odds are I'll be incapacitated before being transported back to Solara. This doesn't seem like a good option to me. It's not that I don't trust my team, it's just that I'd rather not bet on chance when there's a much better option in front of me.

I walk over to Ember, making contact with him, and my two blades

"Dungeon Walker."

Using the minimum amount of MP possible, I teleport us back to a dungeon that I conveniently made a transport point to not so long ago.

A wolf dungeon in the cave system where the Lava Salamander creatures lived. It was either this or the rat dungeon. Teleporting back to the capital may be too risky in more ways than one. I think about the Titan's domain. Using a time dilation would make this a lot quicker, but I'm not quite sure how that much mana would react to Demonic Energy. Today isn't the day to find out.

Rocky and grass-covered ground spreads throughout a mountainous forest-like E-Class Dungeon I've teleported to instead.

Ember speaks as the lush trees and warm air contrast the Labyrinth's freezing cold Boss Room we just left to the most extreme degree.

He raises his head.

"Master, what's the plan?"

I fall to the ground as the mana usage blinds me.

The sparks on my forearms are only growing in size. I need to finish this now before I pass out or worse.

I reply through a clenched jaw.

"Body Double."

Just like the Arch Demon, a flash of white light and sparks create a second copy of my being. It hurts, but this needs to be done. Now I have two simultaneous perspectives.

I gulp, then fall to the floor with my main body and activate Hibernation. More and more sparks climb up my arms every second.

[Use Hibernation]

Cure: Mana Fatigue[Jay Soju], Demonic Energy Poisoning [Jay Soju, Flame Emperor's Sword, Wind Tyrant's Dagger]

Cost: 752.89k MP

Time: 14.4 Days

[YES][NO]

I choose yes and activate my plunderer skill to feed it every last drop of mana it requires without a moment's hesitation. The MP needed and time required has risen since the last time I checked. The reaction has become worse, this all makes sense.

A few seconds pass as I take in mana in the surrounding dungeon. Then, my main body's vision fades to black.

From my double's perspective, I watch my body fall limp and the violent sparks cease to climb my arms. I'm surrounded by a very light green aura and blue text hovers above my body.

[Hibernation Activated]

Time Remaining: 14.4 Days