Chapter 2: Dungeon Conquest Chronicle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 2: Dungeon Conquest Chronicle (2)
I could see the gods' apostles approaching. Clad in white armor, they looked holy and majestic, but the swords they wielded radiated killing intent.
"Receive divine judgment, you filthy demon!"
A golden holy sword cut through the air. I instinctively threw myself backward. The blade passed close enough to graze my hair. With a sharp shiiing, I felt the air split. The spot where I'd been standing just a moment ago was purified by holy energy and evaporated.
BOOM—!
Another explosion erupted. A corpse flew through the air and landed beside me. I instantly used the body as a shield and rolled away. Blood trickled from the still-warm corpse.
'Damn it… I could actually die here.'
[Analyzing Combat Situation]
Hostile Force: Angel Unit
Danger Level: SSS
Evasion Probability: Less than 20%
※Warning: Immediate retreat recommended.
※Warning: High probability of annihilation.
This was nothing like the glorious battles I'd seen in games. This place was filled with nothing but slaughter and destruction. On the orders of the high-ranking demon kings, low-ranking ones like me were thrown into the war of the gods like cannon fodder.
"And they call a thing like you a Demon King… Useless!"
The mocking voice of a high-ranking demon king echoed from behind me. It seemed my appearance—crawling away like a dog—had disgusted him. But I didn't have the luxury of caring about his words right now. I had to focus on one thing: survival.
KABOOOM—!
Another explosion. But this one was different. Along with the blast, something rained down from the sky. They were fragments, glittering like starlight.
[God's Fragment]
Fragment Grade: SSS
Status: Unstable
Properties: Pure Divine Power Crystal
Absorbable: Yes
※Warning: High-level divine power detected.
※Caution: Risk of explosion on contact.
※Lethality: Maximum
These were crystals of power, dropped by the gods as they killed each other in the heart of the battlefield. A terrifying energy emanated from the fragments, which glittered like shards of glass. The fragments raining from the sky embedded themselves in the ground, erupting in blue flames.
'Can I… eat that?'
[Predation Skill available for activation]
Target: God's Fragment
Success Rate: 10%
Probability of Death on Failure: 99.9%
Side Effects: Instant Death/Explosion/Soul Destruction
※Warning: Extremely dangerous attempt.
A ten percent chance. If I fail, I die. No, a fate even more terrible than death might be waiting for me. But if I kept running like this, death was certain anyway.
'I'd rather…'
My hand reached for the nearest fragment. The fragment, glowing with blue light, pulsed in my palm like a heartbeat.
It was the moment of truth. The instant I picked up the God's Fragment, the world turned white.
An intense jolt, like an electric current, shot through my entire body. It felt as if divine power was burrowing under my skin, reconfiguring every single cell.
[Predation Successful]
Absorption of God's Fragment complete.
Level: 1 → 10
Physical Change: In progress
New Ability: Divine Power Resistance
Constitution Strengthened: Divine Power Tolerance ▲
※Caution: Body reconstruction in progress.
※Warning: Demonic energy structure transformation detected.
"What… is this?"
An indescribable pleasure enveloped my entire being. It was as if every nerve was experiencing the ultimate ecstasy. This sensation was incomparable to any drug or pleasure.
'More, I need more…'
Like an addict, I reached for another fragment. Fear and terror vanished. All that remained was the desire to feel this sensation again.
Losing my sanity, seized by madness, I crawled across the battlefield, rummaged through piles of corpses, and devoured every fragment I could find. One, two… With each fragment, the pleasure grew more intense, making me even more greedy.
'Heheheheheheheh…'
[Predation Progress]
Fragments Absorbed: 27
Current Level: 89
Abilities Acquired: 12
Accumulated Divine Power: Dangerous Level
※Warning: Sanity collapse imminent.
※Caution: Divinity saturation.
※Emergency: Cease absorption immediately.
A month passed.
I was drunk on power, rampaging across the battlefield. There was no longer any need to run. In fact, the thought of running now felt boring.
"Haha… Hahahaha!"
I flicked a minor god away with a simple finger. I once fled in terror from them, but now even the gods' underlings looked like ants. Holy energy scattered like fragments from the god's flying body.
[System Warning]
※Danger: Divine power oversaturation.
※Warning: Physical limits exceeded.
※Caution: Immediate dispersal of divine power required.
※Emergency: Sanity on the verge of collapse.
※Life-threatening: Cease absorption immediately.
But such warnings meant nothing to me anymore. Completely addicted to power, the pleasure from the God's Fragments was all that mattered. That intense sensation was pushing me deeper and deeper into madness.
KRRRUUUMBLE—!
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, the sky split apart. Faster than lightning, a colossal being appeared before me. The moment I saw it, the blood in my veins froze.
[Emergency Alert]
※Fatal: Appearance of an ultimate being.
※Danger: Immeasurable power.
※Warning: Survival probability 0.01%.
※Caution: System overload.
An overwhelming pressure washed over me. It was unlike any being I had ever encountered. I couldn't even breathe properly.
"How dare you covet the domain of the gods."
Its mere words felt like they could shatter my entire body. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground.
"Ah… wai—"
Before I could finish, it pointed a single finger at me. A voice that made space itself tremble rang out.
"Eternal Judgment."
[Activating Eternal Seal]
Seal Grade: EX
Irreversible
Duration: Infinite
※Commencing divine power corrosion.
※Soul binding in progress.
※All resistances nullified.
In an instant, everything went white. My body began to disintegrate into glowing dust. Muscle, bone, skin… everything crumbled and vanished into thin air. Piece by piece, my body turned to light and scattered. The only thing left was my consciousness.
I could feel all the power I had gathered, my very existence, being sucked into a sealing stone. In my final moment, the thought that flashed through my mind was…
'Ah… I want to have sex…'
That was my last thought before being sealed.
*
Even while sealed, my mind remained intact. It was a truly fucking curse. My mind was perfectly fine, but I had no body, just a consciousness trapped inside a lump of rock.
[System, how long have I been sealed?]
[Checking Seal Status]
Time Elapsed: 1000 years
Mental State: Unstable
Body: Completely annihilated
Current Location: Inside the Sealing Stone
Eternal Prison Status: Ongoing
※Most system functions are restricted.
Then, one day.
Thud.
For the first time in a thousand years, I felt an external stimulus. Something was above me. And then the ceiling shattered…
Light poured in. It was the first light I had seen in a millennium. Two figures fell through the broken ceiling. One was a handsome-looking man, the other a demon with massive horns and ash-gray skin.
They began to fight each other. Tremendous shockwaves vibrated through the small space. The energy generated by the clash of demonic power and martial force shook the entire cave.
In the midst of the fight, the human man was pushed back. He was sent flying right into the spot where I was sealed.
"Guuuhk…"
The demon approached, raising a black greatsword. A death blow.
At that moment, the black energy radiating from the demon's sword grazed my sealing stone.
[Warning: Sealing Stone damage detected.]
External impact detected.
Seal Integrity: Crack has formed.
※Warning: Possibility of external contact.
※Caution: Potential for seal release detected.
'This is…'
My first chance in a thousand years. A crack had formed, but the seal wasn't properly broken yet. Through the tiny fissure, I could faintly see the outside world.
Just then, I heard the human man's quiet mumble.
"Shit, this is a bust."
It was Korean. I was surprised to hear such a familiar curse after a thousand years.
[Attempting to analyze target.]
Data analysis error.
Identity cannot be confirmed.
※Warning: Unknown variable detected.
※Caution: Analysis system inoperable.
'The system… can't analyze him?'
For the system, which could identify most beings in this world, to fail to identify this man meant he wasn't a simple native of this world.
There was no time to think. The demon's sword swung toward the man's neck. A fatal blow, arcing like a flash of light. At that moment, the demon's sword grazed my sealing stone.
CRACK!
A sharp metallic sound rang out as a crack formed. This time was different. The crack spread across the entire sealing stone like a spiderweb.
[Seal Status: Critical]
Sealing Power: 50% collapsed.
Seal's Restraint: Severely damaged.
※Warning: Complete release imminent.
※Caution: Sealing Stone structural collapse in progress.
※Danger: Suppressive force rapidly decreasing.
'Finally…'
This was the moment I had waited a thousand years for. My suppressed power began to leak through the cracks. One final blow would be enough.
The demon's sword flew in once more. Just then, the man instinctively grabbed something. In his hand was none other than my sealing stone. I don't know when he picked it up, but he held it up before him like a shield.
CR-CR-CRACK!
"What…?"
The demon stared at its sword in shock. The sword was stuck in the sealing stone, unmoving.
As if time itself had stopped.