Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

Memories of Citadel commands only available to Andras Vermillion are fresh in my mind.

Plus, the repercussions of killing a Demon contracted with the 5 Great Families in the Upper Realm are clear as day as well.

I'm positive at the very least, the family head is already aware that an event has happened here today in this citadel, so it is best to be ahead of the curve and make him aware of exactly what happened myself.

My eyes close, and I retract my waves of intimidation inward, to allow the citizens of the Ellipsia Citadel to breathe; while focusing my energy only within the central tower.

Over ten thousand years' worth of avatar commands from the Citadel Lord are fresh in my mind, and it is merely an automated transaction of ether and divine energy in very specific movements within this tower.

It is like a massive machine that controls the Citadel, and the prior Lord's Avatar linked directly into it; making his thoughts turn into actions.

I for one don't have complete control over the Citadel functions like Andras did, however, I can easily replicate the energy flows to do tasks I remember this Noble Demon doing, recreating the ether and divine energy flows to get the result I wish.

I grin and send a concentrated shockwave through the tower; and in turn, vibrations of mirrored shockwaves ripple throughout the Citadel.

–

In a matter of seconds, there is a total blackout for tens of thousands of kilometers in every direction.

All of the surveillance systems, fast travel orbs, and system commands linked to avatars go dark.

At the same time, a blue wyvern bursts out from the bottom of the central tower with warlords and a goblin queen on its back, and flies through the dark towers at incredible speeds. They make their way away from the center of the city, and aim for the High Orc's private tower near the edge of the Citadel.

–

In the meantime, the servants of the last Citadel Lord go into a panic.

Half of them are injured from the shockwaves and intimidation from the surprise intruders while others have just had their loyalty commands broken after millennia of slavery and mind control and have no idea what to do with themselves.

They're technically free, but an even more sinister Citadel Lord is now their ruler.

–

I keep up my disguise while standing on Ember's back as he slowly flies in circles around the top of the dueling room, and feel a tingle of telepathy enter my mind.

"I knew you would show up, but I can't say I expected such an incredible display. Congrats on unsealing your nobility, and officially, welcome to the Upper Realm."

I inwardly smile and reply.

"Oh there's no time for congratulations yet... we just kicked the bees' nest... While it was quite the genius play, you're the one that forced my hand to do it. I would have come up here in far more simple terms if you did not challenge a Noble Demon to a deathmatch impossible to win."

All I get back is a grin that matches mine, but I let out my aura of intimidation again and continue my words.

"For this next phase of your scheme, reclaiming the Grand Citadel, I'll be the one constructing the plan. Now, I have a far better understanding of the Upper Realm."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Ember flaps his wings and circles the room a few more times.

"Oh I'm aware, and the Warlords are eager to meet you as well. The stage is all yours."

–

As I sense these Warlords and the geopoint of Ava disappear into a private tower; I send a new pulse of ether and divine energy surging through the Citadel.

From the center, it's as if the central tower is a stone rippling in a pond, relighting the green glow of hundreds of massive skyscrapers and reactivating tens of millions of avatars' commands.

In the same surge, the servants working below the tower receive a telepathic command, mimicking what a normal order from their past Lord would sound like.

Unlike in the past, their minds and bodies do not move on their own, they have autonomy to do so or not, but none of them question the terrifying voice in their ears of the Demon that just massacred all of the most powerful beings on the Citadel.

It is telling them to send out a full surveillance update to the Grand Citadel, and to reopen all of the transportation and transmission ports to and from Ellipsia as if this never happened.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

In the same instance; large rectangular holes in the damaged dueling room's ceiling open wide and Ember flies us up through them, taking us to the private lounges where the Citadel Lord and his two 1st Class henchmen once lived.

We fly upward past many private training rooms and rejuvenation rooms, two of which are occupied by these two demons whose minds are still melted from earlier duels, vague memories from Andras show me Ember and Torvak's duels that started this whole conflict.

We both inwardly grin while flying further up the tower, through opening and closing trap doors triggered by my ether and divine energy simulated commands; until we finally make it to the top where a massive penthouse suite stands.

We touch down in front of a large business table, a hologram transmission setup, and a one-way window overlooking all of the Ellipsia Citadel that I've declared ownership of.

I chuckle to myself, and speak out loud while my gaze looks past the thousands of towers and off into the endless green clouds.

"This place looks a lot nicer from above."

–

At the same time, over ten million kilometers away, a long-horned demon with shadows surrounding its being floats in a Dark Chamber at the center of the Grand Citadel.

Its eyes are closed, but opening them wouldn't help him see any better in the mental chamber it rests in now.

Around its being; a bright green glow heats up the air and bends space toward him, but gravity and space itself work in strange ways where he floats.

If he were to move his head upward to look up at the black abyss for a sky, he would not see a thing. However, in the depths of this long-horned Demon's mind, it knows a bright Cyan cored being watches him from a Zone above. It is impossible for this green-cored demon to travel there without approval, but this chamber links every zone within the Family Head's minds to communicate in a very unique fashion.

A string of notifications echoes in this green-cored demon's inner mind. First, it makes him aware that a member of his Vermillion Family has died...

Then, no more than a minute later, a full holographic display of the duel that took place today in the Ellipsia Citadel is delivered in crystal clear quality by the killer himself.

Before it can formulate thoughts of its own on the matter, the Cyan light above speaks, vibrating in his mind, impossible to resist.

"Your first family member has died, and it was one walking the path of nobility. You have not been established long enough for this to be of old age, what has happened? An explanation is necessary for the higher family heads, Miriel."

The long-horned Family Head cannot see, nor directly communicate back to this being, but he can speak into the void of the chamber, and those who wish to listen can hear.

He sends the data of the full duel into the void, and speaks in a steady and unbothered tone.

"This was within my expectations. I've summoned a new Noble Demon to my ranks from the lower realm, it seems he has very strong convictions and wishes to keep the Vermillion Family Name untarnished. I see nothing wrong with his actions. It is a complicated matter, please take a look for yourself."

As Miriel Vermillion's words fade away into the abyss, and the surveillance recordings disappear as well, all that is returned is silence.

The Cyan light fades to black, and the long-horned demon continues to sit and wait within the void for a response or for other family heads to question him.

A long silence follows. However, just as gravity and space work in strange ways within this chamber, this results in time flowing in odd ways as well.

Just a single second could pass in the mind of the waiter, but years in perceived time may pass for those above. The opposite can be true, depending on who decides to enter the chamber, and how much power they decide to use.

Miriel knows to take his time in the chamber as a mental vacation, as little to no time passes in the outside realm while in here.

So, he is awoken from his stare into the darkness by laughter above. The Cyan-cored voice vibrates into his mind again.

"Drako Vermillion, huh? I like him. He reminds me of you when I first summoned you into the Morevale family. Rebellious, but he has loyalty to the Demons, and I can see it in his eyes, he truly seeks to climb. Tame him early, and nurture him; this may be your ticket upward. I will check in on your progress in another thousand years."

Miriel smiles, but the chamber does not convey such emotions. He respectfully replies.

"Thank you for your words. I'm glad we're in agreement."

Miriel prepares to sit in darkness for another few years of perceived time in case another response comes back, but almost instantly after he's thanked the Morevale family head, another resounding soul-shaking voice enters the long-horned demon's mind.

A Dark Blue gravitational field presses downward throughout the entire chamber; affecting everyone below, piercing into both the Vermillion and Morevale family heads' minds.

"The Vanguard Family does not approve. Eliminate the threat."

As soon as it comes, the dark blue soul-crushing gravity fades away; and Miriel Vermillion exits the chamber instantly while emitting a dark menacing aura in reaction to these words.

He knows if a Family Head this far up sends such a direct statement, no other messages will be sent. His time in the Chamber following this would be a waste of mental capacity.

This unexpected response has turned this exciting surprise into an event that has made the Vermillion Family Head extremely angry.

Miriel has been searching for a perfect Candidate like Drako since the day he was accepted as the 5th Royal Family Head. At times over the years, many of his subordinates have been taken by the Morevale and Vanguards in exchange for higher quality ether that cannot easily be found in this zone of the upper realm.

However, the incredible display of power shown in those video replays is something that only comes around once every hundred thousand years at least. This family head knows he has something special. He had an inkling from the fragments of data he was sent from the Lower Realm over the last few centuries, but seeing him in action confirms his theory that his gut feeling was right.

The Vanguards are a very cautious family. As they have ruled for far longer than the Vermillion or Morevale Family can even comprehend. However, Miriel believes they are just trying to suppress his talented new summon, and make him pay his dues for longer than necessary because they weren't as lucky as him.

He yells out at the top of his lungs in a private room where no one can see or hear him.

"Curse you Vanguards! You're not limiting my progress any more... It's been long enough. Drako could be a thousand times more powerful, with all the 1st Grade Worlds in the green zone for all I care, I can still tame him. I'll show you it's not luck! I'll show you all! Even the Overseer will fear my power! None of you understand the true depths of my ability..."

While he yells these words at the ceiling to vent; black and purple darkness seeps through the lining of the massive room he stands in, like mold, growing and spreading deep within the structure, even decaying the green divine threads tethering this building to reality.