Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Chapter 731

I can see, feel, hear, smell, and fully comprehend everything simultaneously that is happening around me for over 100,000 kilometers in every direction.

The ends of the exile zones, where little to no ether is left in the dead worlds, pile up even further than my vision.

The memories of other Citadels are vivid in my mind, but it seems even they are further away than my senses can travel as well. The Upper Realm is truly vast.

However, the Citadel above me is clear in perfect clarity. The conversation between Ember and the Citadel Lord is fresh in my ears and the damage covering the walls of that dueling room paints a perfect picture of what happened, showing me exactly what I must do next.

My conceal skill activates, and I begin changing my appearance.

I continue speaking to the Blue Wyvern that watches me float above the split mountain, giving off an ethereal glow as I am showered in the rays of light from the powerplant above.

"The Guardian of your prison has been killed. Now you may roam freely again. I'm correct, aren't I?"

He replies through the telepathy link I've created, without hesitating any further.

"That is true... but... you showed no signs of Nobility before you fought. Is it possible to awaken this path without being born into it? This—this could change everything—"

I look up at the closing doors and back down to the Wyvern again.

"You can ask all the questions you'd like when this is over. I need you to help me now before those doors shut."

While I speak these words, my conceal skill continues changing my pristine, white, glistening true Noble Human Form. Three horns grow from my forehead, and I allow my Demon Lord's Core to flood the outside of my body with dark purple demonic energy.

I even coat my crimson Soul Sword with the darkness, making it glow black and purple.

I activate my greater form, imbuing it with Demonic Energy instead of pure mana to grow, simulating the exact consistency I watched the demons back on my homeworld use.

The Wyvern's eyes widen even more, as its vision is sharp; but the more Ether and Demonic Energy I pour into this disguise, the more it becomes unsure of what it is seeing.

This is a real Noble Bloodline Transformation. The demonic energy and Demon Lord's Core are genuine as well. However, there is a mana-based Soul Energy core that dominates my body, and the beautiful form and awakening it just witnessed would be impossible for a demon to achieve. It is simply not in their nature.

While the Wyvern tries to wrap its mind around what it has just witnessed, it still jumps into action, flapping its wings and flying through a zone barrier that has been deactivated from its guardian's death.

At the same time, I send another telepathy message to Ava, as I have a job for her to do too if I want to pull this off without leaving any loose ends.

She instantly agrees, with no questions asked, opening up her system storage and zipping around the mountain collecting the soul weapons and corpses of dozens of fallen demonic guards.

–

In the next few seconds, the Wyvern flaps its wings fewer than five times, curving upward all the way up the mountain hundreds of kilometers high.

It feels a rush of energy as many of the ether stones it flies over at close range are drained. A white aura of the Ancient Monster's Ether expands as it feels the invisible cage it has been living in lifted by a mystery man.

The Wyvern's energy form grows in size even larger than my demonic greater form.

Green light flashes as Ava circles the mountain, getting closer and closer to the top.

Then, all three of us collide atop the mountain; and the Wyvern doesn't stop its upward momentum.

I stand on the Wyvern's back, and Ava stands on its tail.

Demonic Energy floods out from my core more and more, surrounding the Wyvern's thick ether aura and creating a pseudo-Greater Form that I can bend to my will.

A truly demonic sight unfolds as the corpse of this Noble Demon, Andras Vermillion, is lifted into the air on a glowing purple blade. A black-horned demon riding a monstrous demonic dragon radiates more ether within the holographic interface than any of the other fighters in the ring.

Strange readings show all the excess Ether, Demonic Energy, and Divine Energy from Andras being drained into this overwhelmingly powerful demon's sword and flooding into its body.

The whole Citadel shakes in fear as they both let out roars again, and the dueling room goes black.

–

The Citadel goes silent at the sight of this darkness, but moments later, questions immediately erupt among its residents.

"W-What happened?"

"It's blacked out again? Why?"

"Another demon came in to kill the Citadel Lord?"

"That human did say he was dishonoring the Vermillion Family name by admitting defeat..."

"Could... this be another test...?"

"No—it couldn't be..."

"What's going to happen to the Ogre Conglomeration now...?"

"Yeah... we're not going to be exterminated now, right? I-I mean, it was a demon that killed him..."

–

When the darkness fades, only two living beings remain in the dueling room for the public to see.

A demon and a dragon, slowly flying around the top half of the room.

Below them, many corpses covered in dense Demonic Energy lie, dissolving as their shattered avatars return to the atmosphere.

This includes the remains of the Noble Demon Andras Vermillion and his soul-bonded dragon. Beside them, a dual-sided axe lies dormant and black, a spiked club near it as well, and two long blades crossed—all left where the Warlords were last seen.

Their remains are unrecognizable, like melted piles of flesh covered in the same demonic energy that trails behind this mystery demon.

Even a small pile of demonic energy-covered remains, glowing with flickers of white fire, sits on the dueling room floor where the human was last seen. Given the darkness, it is impossible to know what truly happened from the public's perspective.

All they know is that it was gruesome—and not even close. This Demon completely overwhelmed them.

The demon that crashed the show speaks in a cool and calculated voice, its wise eyes sending shivers down spines as the holographic live feed zooms in on its face.

"The Vermillion Family name is not one to be thrown around lightly or used to win petty duels. Do not compare true Noble Demons to the weak showing this false Lord, Andras Vermillion, has made you believe is the pinnacle of power. There are far greater forces above that you must fear."

The strange demon's eyes glisten with dark purple energy, shining with an ethereal white glow from deep within. Then it grins, letting out an aura of intimidation so strong the entire dueling room's walls begin to shake and crack before the public's eyes.

As the walls splinter, waves of that intimidation leak out from the central tower, and tens of millions of Lords feel its full strength—even thousands of kilometers away.

The demon speaks again, raising its purple sword, which bears an eye at its base that looks even more malicious.

"I, Drako Vermillion, declare myself the new Lord of the Ellipsia Citadel."