Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

While catching up with the Warlords, I can't help but question one thing about their illegal avatars.

"Why haven't you just connected these to the Citadel? It wouldn't limit their command freedom at all..."

I think about the fact that there was no way I could have contemplated such a complex craft just a few days ago. However, the inner workings of these avatars look advanced enough to handle settings like this without altering any of their current features.

Torvak laughs, and Asic shakes his head to reply.

"Well, that would be impossible. We would have to manipulate the entire Citadel's command base at once. My expertise is on what's in front of me; I can't handle such a large-scale craft."

I raise an eyebrow and realize again that the memories of Andras Vermillion are aiding my complex understanding of this Citadel further; and even Ancient 1st Class Lords like this cannot spread their ether senses as far as I can or with as much accuracy and speed.

"Well, in order to move forward, I'll finish the job."

With a few swift movements of my right hand and my gaze moving back and forth from the two Warlords to the Goblin Queen beside them, I start adding complex ether commands that tether to the outside of their avatars.

Nothing physically changes, but new options connected to the Citadel pop up in the systems, linking them to all of the fast travel routes and trading commands.

Options to edit their outward-facing homeworld and to disable all access to the Citadel—returning to their unaided illegal freedom forms—are available as well.

I turn my hand toward Zashen, but before I take a step forward, Ember stops me.

"Oh—I'll link him once he wakes up. Altering him in any way right now wouldn't be a good idea..."

I nod and turn back to the two Warlords.

"I even added a cloaking feature, so if you walk outside, the surveillance systems won't detect you at all. It will be as if an invisible ghost is moving through the streets. Though, other lords will still be able to see you."

Asic nods calmly.

"We will be able to stay out of sight of those that could recognize us until the time is right to reveal the truth. I thank you again."

Torvak looks down at his hands, still in awe as he examines the edits to his system.

"Yes, very good. And those avatars for the servants—we'll get on that now."

Ember waves them off, but when I ask if he'd like to come welcome the generals to the Upper Realm, he declines, determined to stay behind in the High Orc Tower longer.

"I believe right now, if you wish to keep your seals on, I'll be the only one capable of handling Zashen safely if he wakes up in a bad mood..."

"Very well, Ava and I will do the honors then."

The Goblin Queen and I float up out of the ceiling and leave in the opposite direction the Warlords took, on our way to the Central Tower.

—

At the same time, four sets of eyes all turn toward the main long-distance transport terminal planet on the Great Belt of Brymia.

It was just a surface-layer scan that registered their physical appearances, divine core level, and refinement quality of their soul energy cores. The scanner is imbued with a large amount of low-quality ether and a very intricate mana-based dispersion array, moving through the entire system so quickly that it almost goes unnoticed.

A communications channel between these four generals and Alveron is immediately established, as none of them want to destroy this system by accident if they don't have to. But they will not be confined by the rules here if they are under attack.

The persona of a silver knight immediately responds, sending them a live feed visual of the perpetrators of this disturbance.

"I will show you the source of your disturbance in privacy, but please do not act rashly. This is not one of those new Vermillion Forces. They do not fight without reason, and I have a complicated relationship with them... They've only broken one of the minor rules here to get my attention quicker. I do not believe they meant to directly antagonize you."

The imagery of two dozen 1st Class True Cored Demons standing in the middle of a massive teleportation hall appears—five of them standing in front of the others, fully saturated cores glowing with power.

One stands front and center, over 10 meters tall, with jaded eyes and a small black box between his palms that glows with a faint white light, visible only to those who have awakened ether senses.

Its eyes barely move once Alveron appears before it in his silver suit of armor and speaks aloud.

"One of the Morvale's old attack forces... I welcome you all back to the Great Belt of Brymia, but I cannot allow you to break one of our minor rules like that without consciousness. The privacy of my guests is very important."

The entire room begins to glow with teleportation magic, as countless prebuilt security arrays activate—designed to eject criminals from public areas.

Every one of these demons is strong enough to withstand the arrays and fast enough to leave before they're transported away, but none of them move a muscle, and their leader shows a slight grin.

The next scene that appears in the minds of the generals is these demons appearing in a new room, quite far away—on a small orbiting asteroid within this same solar system, yet distant from the belt where all the planets are locked together.

If one were to look toward the red star, it would hardly appear larger than the others in the sky. It just barely has enough gravity to keep this small prison, used to interrogate aggressors in orbit yet far away from the public.

None of the demons look concerned or surprised at their predicament, and the strongest-looking one opens up a small purple and black rift in front of himself, letting the box that scanned the base fall in, and speaks up.

"Well, I knew that would certainly get us a meeting fast. Good to see you too, Alveron. It seems you're still as sharp as ever."

The Knight uses common demon mannerisms and nods while responding.

"Of course. Helix was your name. Helix Morvale, am I right? Just know that you have no privacy here. You're being monitored, and this information is being shared, as it seems you have no respect for my rules either."

The eyes of the demon in question sharpen.

"Indeed. Do you have a new business partner? Or a buyer already lined up that wants my information after feeling the scan? A client that rivals the forces of a Great Family? I know that in the past you would have at least offered me the chance to buy my privacy... What has changed...?"

The generals all watch with open eyes, as in mere seconds, this demon has already figured out the entire situation on its own.

Alveron is mildly concerned, as the creature does not want to get on the bad side of either of these forces that clearly have animosity toward each other. The Great Families are not to be messed with directly, and this new Rising Emperor has the potential in Alveron's mind to be even more terrifying, at least here in the Lower Realm. It has deduced quite a few possibilities of what this abrupt appearance could be about, but answers tactically to please both sides.

"Yes, one could say a new client. But their matters are their own. If they wish to speak to you, they will make that clear."

There is a pause, and through the system spectate link, Raven is the first to speak.

"We were closest to that burst. Whoever they are, they definitely know how powerful we are... Abnormal for humans, but I highly doubt this will directly link us back to our home world, or Jay in any way..."

Maria comments right after.

"I don't know... It seems like this isn't a usual appearance. Something isn't adding up. I say we don't let them go until we have those scans deleted at the very least."

Abby's eyes are wide, as memories are triggered in the back of her mind from the mention of that Demon Family's name. She had never heard it before now, yet the moment it's mentioned, it sounds familiar.

The visuals of these memories are blurry and pretty much impossible to make out, but the feelings associated with them are hatred and fear...

"I don't know why... but I think we should have nothing to do with them. My soul weapon is telling me to fear them. The sooner they leave, the better..." she murmurs.

Arie stares at the visual feed and comments back to Alveron last.

"Let's just hear out what they want. We can always be the ones to leave first."

Alveron replies to the demon after this consensus.

"So, what is it that you've come here for? What would you like to buy or sell? If you are here to declare another war, I would strongly suggest against that. It would not be profitable for either side given the strength of our current forces."

Helix laughs.

"No, I do not wish to start another war this far away from the Source. I agree it would not be profitable. I just wish to survey one of the planets my forces lost to you in the last war thirty thousand years back. It is far too deep in your territory for our forces to slip in unnoticed. So, I'm offering to pay for a single scan. We do not even need to descend down to the world. A view from one moon is more than enough. Name your price for a quick trip to the Kelfar star system."