Chapter 715: The Top of the Tower
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 715: The Top of the Tower
"We’re here."
The flickering flames illuminated yet another set of massive doors.
The gates remained as ancient as the others, carved with the scars of passing eras, yet they had lost none of the profound weight bestowed upon them at the moment of their creation.
Looking at the doors, Ariel’s expression gradually turned solemn.
"The Ancient Artifact is right behind them."
An placed both hands on the gates. The exotic beasts carved into the wood seemed to glare at the intruder, but she ignored them, pushing the heavy doors open with deceptive ease.
A cold wind kicked up a cloud of dust. Ariel instinctively rested her hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Fire Greatsword.
However, as the doors swung wide, the space beyond revealed nothing but that single gust of chilling air.
This was the top of the tower. Huge, floor-to-ceiling stone windows lined the walls, offering a clear view of the entirety of Gutons Fortress.
The abyssal sky remained dim and oppressive. The towers stretching into the clouds looked like the silhouettes of monsters, their jagged claws and teeth woven into the very fabric of the city. Before them, a majestic dome was decorated with breathtaking patterns, yet beneath that golden-crafted ceiling, the hall was utterly empty.
"Where is it?"
Ariel rubbed her eyes. She even activated her Eye of Truth, but the room remained vacant. "Where’s the Ancient Artifact?"
"Isn't it right there?"
An pointed toward the ceiling.
"You mean... those patterns?"
It took Ariel a long moment to realize that An wasn't pointing at a physical object, but rather the strange designs etched into the dome.
She couldn't tell what the patterns were supposed to represent. They had no clear outlines, nor were there any inscriptions to explain them. Ariel couldn't even find the words or metaphors to describe what she was seeing.
It couldn't even be called abstract art. Humans are incapable of abstracting things beyond their own cognition; even the greatest abstract masters still leave traces of reality in their work.
But these patterns bore no resemblance to anything real. Ariel couldn't even sense a trace of an aura emanating from them.
"It feels... different from the Ancient Artifacts I’ve encountered before."
"Of course it’s different. The level is entirely separate."
"Level? Ancient Artifacts have levels?"
"Is that so hard to understand? Though they are all called Ancient Artifacts, they were ultimately created by people of that era. And where there are people, there are differences in skill."
An stepped forward, walking to the very center of the tower’s peak. She looked up at the patterns, and deep within her gray eyes, colors as profound as the designs themselves began to bleed through.
Then, those colors were swallowed by a tide of blood-red.
An’s eyes transformed into the crimson pupils characteristic of the Demon Race!
"Should I say... long time no see?"
An raised her hand and whispered softly, "No, I suppose I can't say that anymore. Because I... am no longer me."
Buzz!
Ariel suddenly heard a piercing hum.
The sound was so massive and sharp that she instinctively covered her ears, yet the vibration didn't weaken in the slightest. It felt as though it were being poured directly into her soul!
At the same time, a gale howled, as if the air currents of the entire world were converging on this spot. Ariel had to drop into a low stance to steady her center of gravity just to keep from being blown away.
"What’s going on? Why is there such a huge commotion?"
Ariel was aghast. She thought to herself that an Ancient Artifact capable of maintaining an entire city was truly something else—even its appearance was terrifying.
But then, the humming and the wind vanished instantly, as if someone had flipped a switch.
Ariel looked up blankly and saw the patterns on the dome brightening bit by bit, before peeling themselves away from the mottled stone wall.
It looked like a chaotic mass of lines, jumping and flowing constantly.
As it descended, however, the lines began to take on a regular shape. Rotating and flashing, they formed a perfect circle—like the legendary snake biting its own tail.
It was just a circle, yet Ariel found her breath hitching the moment it appeared.
She could clearly feel a terrifying set of Rules flowing along that simple line. The unspeakable, profound aura made it difficult to look away, yet she was forced to; even a few seconds of staring caused a sharp, stabbing pain in her eyes.
"Ancient Artifact: Eternal Cycle."
The circle known as the Eternal Cycle drifted down, hovering a short distance in front of An. Unlike Ariel, An was able to gaze at it freely.
"As expected of that person's work. So much time has passed, the world has changed, yet only you remain immortal."
Hum.
The Eternal Cycle vibrated slightly, as if responding to her.
"That person?"
Ariel rubbed her eyes, taking a while to recover. "Who’s that? The creator of this artifact? And is this really just an Ancient Artifact? It’s way too intense."
"There are some things Miss Ariel is better off not knowing for now," An said softly.
"...Fine."
Ariel pouted.
Miss An was great in every other way—beautiful, dignified, and elegant in every movement—but this habit of playing the mystery-monger was incredibly frustrating.
"But speaking of which... did we really get this thing that easily?"
Ariel looked around.
When An had invited her to find the artifact that powered Gutons Fortress, Ariel had expected a perilous mission. After all, common sense dictated that something this important would be guarded by powerful experts.
Yet, they had only encountered Govelt and one other Skinner on the way here.
Even if the Demon Race was short-staffed, this didn't seem right.
"Of course it isn't."
An turned to look at Ariel—or rather, at a spot near Ariel.
"Be careful, Miss Ariel. He has actually been here the whole time."
"What?"
Ariel froze again.
Who? Who had been here the whole time?
Wasn't it just me and Miss An...
Wait!!
Her vision showed nothing.
Her hearing detected nothing.
Her sense of smell found nothing.
Even her magical perception felt nothing.
But guided by a survival instinct honed through countless brushes with death, Ariel instinctively swung the Heavenly Fire Greatsword in front of her.
Clang—!
A screeching sound of metal on metal whipped up the wind again!
But this was different from the phenomenon caused by the artifact. Within this surging turbulence, Ariel finally detected a sliver of murderous intent reeking of blood!
"Damn it!"
Almost the exact moment Ariel reacted, a colossal force slammed into her. It felt as if a mountain had collided with her body. The flames on the Heavenly Fire Greatsword, which hadn't had time to fully erupt, flickered like a candle in a storm before being snuffed out.
Ariel gritted her teeth and redirected the force to the side, twisting her body nimbly to avoid a direct head-on collision.
Because of this, she was forced to roll several times across the floor. Her face was smudged with dust, leaving her looking utterly disheveled.
"Son of a... an ambush? How cheap can you get!"
In the space where the wind had just been howling, the air pressure suddenly dropped as if heavy storm clouds were pressing down. Ariel dug her fingers into the ground and glared toward the source of the attack, her sharp eyebrows twitching.
"Show yourself and fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts, you bastard!"
"..."
Screech—
The sound of metal dragging on stone sent sparks flying.
A tall figure clad in silver armor emerged slowly from the shadows, answering Ariel’s challenge. He dragged a vicious-looking long spear behind him.
The armor was unlike any Ariel had seen on the Demon Race. It lacked the usual tattered, "broke" look of common demons; the silver plating gleamed as if it had just come out of the forge.
Even the mana radiating from it smelled different to Ariel.
"Human Magic Armor?"
Ariel’s eyes narrowed. She couldn't understand why a demon would possess a piece of magic technology that only the continent’s top alchemists could produce.
Wasn't the Abyss supposed to be devoid of magic materials? This thing was clearly brand new; it didn't look like battlefield loot.
...And beyond the equipment, the most important point was that this demon had apparently been standing there the entire time, yet Ariel hadn't sensed his presence once since entering the room.
"This is going to be a problem..."
Ariel gripped the Heavenly Fire Greatsword with fingers that were still slightly numb. "Miss An, what’s the plan?"
"My apologies."
An only spared the demon a glance before returning her attention to the artifact. "Can you stall him for three minutes?"
"Only three minutes?"
Ariel, who had been worried, suddenly perked up. Her lips curled into a smirk. "I thought I was going to have to put my life on the line again. If it’s just three minutes, that’ll be easy pea—"
BOOM!
Before she could finish, a sonic boom nearly shattered her eardrums. Ariel’s vision blurred.
She didn't even see the opponent move. Once again, she instinctively brought her greatsword up to guard.
"Pfft—!"
But this time was completely different. The terrifying force had increased by several magnitudes. Her petite body was sent flying like a sandbag.
Blood welled up in her chest, and she couldn't help but cough some out. That single strike had clearly caused significant internal injuries.
What the hell?
Ariel strained her eyes and finally saw the spear the silent, armored demon had swung.
Did he not even use his weapon for the first strike?
He could suppress her without a weapon. With a weapon, he could send her flying in one hit. What kind of monster was this?
The Magic Armor blocked Ariel’s perception, preventing her from gauging his exact realm, but she guessed he was likely at the Fifth-Tier, similar to the Demon Generals she had faced before.
He couldn't be a Crown Bearer; if he were, he wouldn't have even needed to swing a spear.
Even so, he was unlike any demon enemy Ariel had ever encountered. She felt a sense of urgency she hadn't experienced since arriving in the Abyss.
"I take back what I said... cough... looks like I’ve run into a real handful this time."
Ariel struggled to her feet, deciding to try a smarter approach.
"With strength like that, you can't be a nobody among the demons. What’s the matter? Won't you give me a name before we have a fair and honorable duel?"
A crimson light flashed within the helmet’s visor.
As if moved by Ariel’s seriousness and courage, a muffled voice finally echoed from within the armor after a moment of silence.
It was an answer that made her heart sink even further.
"First Demon General, Zagu."