Chapter 43: The Fool's Conclusion
As the Soul-Eater Malakor hit the ground in a submissive kneel, the air in the throne room turned stagnant. Ryker stood with Heaven's Edge raised, his Diamond aura burning with a golden light that blinded the lower-ranked players. The Boss, sensing the abyssal void hidden within the "Epsilon" carrier at the back, frantically tore its own Essence Heart from its chest and slid it across the floor. It wasn't an attack; it was an offering to stay alive.
"Behold!" Kargan shouted, his voice smooth and projecting a fake confidence. He looked at the other players, his eyes glinting with a lie. "Do you see the power of experience? Lord Ryker's presence is so refined that the monster is surrendering its core to the weakest among us just to avoid his wrath! It's a classic displacement of aggression."
Ryker, realizing the potential to solidify his legend, sheathed his blade with a slow, practiced click. "It is a rare phenomenon," he lied smoothly, hiding his own confusion. "But at Diamond rank, one learns that true strength doesn't always require a swing of the sword. Epsilon, pick up the heart. It's a 'gift' from your superiors."
The other players smirked, knowing the Heart of Malakor bore a lethal Soul-Withering Curse. They expected Damon to wither instantly. Instead, Damon picked it up, and the curse was swallowed by his [Void Heart] like a drop of ink in an ocean. He tucked it away, his expression unchanged.
While the "Elites" lectured the group on the importance of aura control, Damon activated [Potential Appraisal]. He looked at Toby, the Bronze carrier.
Role: Sovereign's Strategist (Unawakened). The boy had a mind that functioned like a multidimensional chessboard. He was exactly what Damon's new empire needed—a man who could manage the "Logic" of a world while Damon handled the "Void."
Chapter 44: The Sovereign's Shortcut
Word Count: 370
The party moved deeper, entering the Drought of the Void. Instantly, the "Elites" were stripped of their mana. Ryker's golden light vanished, and Kargan's fire-gauntlets sputtered into useless iron. As the Abyssal Shadow-Hounds swarmed, the Diamond and Gold players stood frozen, their "experience" failing them in the face of true powerlessness.
A Shadow-Hound lunged at Toby. Damon didn't hesitate. [Soul Extraction]. Toby's body slumped, but his soul was safely tucked into Damon's inventory, hidden from the world. To the others, the boy had simply collapsed from the pressure.
"Don't panic!" Ryker shouted, though his voice trembled. "This is just... a high-level test of physical endurance!"
Damon had seen enough. He snapped his fingers, activating [Seal of the Lost]. A thick, unnatural fog rolled in, severing the senses of everyone but himself. With the "noise" removed, Damon didn't even lift a finger. He simply willed the Shadow-Hounds out of existence.
Instead of heading for the exit, Damon grabbed a ripple in space. He forced open a Shortcut Rift, a path that bypassed the remaining floors and led directly into the Boss's inner sanctum treasure room. He didn't want to waste time walking.
To make the carriers' lives easier, Damon used a telekinetic tether to pile the hundreds of hound carcasses—valuable for their pelts—right at the dungeon's primary entrance gate. When the fog finally cleared, the party found themselves standing in a room overflowing with S-Rank loot, with the path back to the entrance perfectly cleared and the heavy work already done.
"Incredible," Ryker breathed, quickly regaining his composure. "I used a Secret Technique to warp us directly to the treasure hoard while the fog was up. And I moved the carcasses to the entrance so the carriers wouldn't have to toil. Remember this, everyone—this is the efficiency of a Diamond Master."
Kargan nodded aggressively. "I helped with the heavy lifting! You carriers better be grateful!"
Damon stood in the shadow of a pillar, his pocket full of millions in credits and Toby's soul safe in his hand. He let them have their lies. The "Epsilon" had what he came for: a clean bank account and a new general for his army.
To be continued...