"So what is the plan, huh?" Damien leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "What do we do about these... dragon friends of yours? When do they plan to attack us? How do we face them? How strong are they?"
Vritra's golden eyes were calm. "You do not have to worry about them much. They are banned from battle with adventurers and humans for the time being, because of an ancient contract signed by the Dragon Monarch and Ouranos. This contract binds them to never fight for or against adventurers. Nor can they defend the dungeon directly."
Damien raised an eyebrow. "Then how did Tiamat and Qinglong attack us?"
"They use avatars." Vritra's voice was steady. "However, avatars are an expensive technique. When they use one, they lose the ability to do so for many years—sometimes up to fifty years. Tiamat and Qinglong are done for now. You only have to worry about Albion and Yinglong." She paused. "And even still, I can face them in my current avatar form."
Damien nodded slowly. "So two down, two left. That is not so bad."
"The one you should truly worry about is far more dangerous. Even stronger than all of us in our avatar forms." Vritra's expression darkened. "The one known as Azi Dahaka. The Demon Dragon."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "The One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"Yes. He is a total menace. A problem. Not even Albion seems able to control him or rein him in. He does things mostly out of pleasure—chaos and blood." Vritra's voice dropped. "The good thing is that he goes into long hibernations. The bad thing is that Albion and Yinglong might try to wake him up. From there... what he does is truly unpredictable. And even I cannot help you face him. Just like the others, I am banned from battling beings of the dungeon and adventurers."
"So this bastard Azi Dahaka is the outlier." Damien's jaw tightened. "What even is he? You called him a Demon Dragon. What does that mean?"
Vritra was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke.
"He is not a real dragon. Not a kin of ours. Instead, he is a projection of what the dungeon thinks a dragon should be. However, his personality came from an evil god that died ages ago inside the dungeon. That evil god's soul was absorbed by the dungeon." She paused. "The Lord of Light, seeing his usefulness, allowed him to grow inside one of the dragons in the dungeon. He became half spirit, half dragon. He evolved for so long inside the dungeon that he became a true dragon in his own right." Her voice hardened. "And as a dragon outside the contract, he is the Lord of Light's and the Dragon Monarch's greatest asset."
Damien's mind raced. "Do you know where he is now?"
"No. But I have a guess."
"And that is?"
Vritra met his eyes. "I believe he may have returned to the inside of the dungeon. Perhaps to counter you. Azi Dahaka has a special ability—his power to teleport to different locations he has marked before. It is not instant teleportation. It is more like a few fixed locations he can move between. And I think, due to the events with Tiamat and Qinglong, he may have returned to the dungeon. Awaiting you there."
Damien ran a hand through his hair. "This is pretty fucking complicated. I am not even sure what to do now. Wait here until Albion and Yinglong attack? Do I go out to look for them? Do I dive deeper into the dungeon to face the One-Eyed Black Dragon?" He exhaled. "This has complicated a lot of things for me."
"I do not think you should ever stop going deeper into the dungeon," Vritra said. "Overall, the Shadow Monarch must grow. And most growth can be done inside the dungeon, especially with your special abilities. If you are worried about the city, I will stand in protection of it, with all the others." She bowed her head. "But you have to go deeper. Deeper than ever before."
Damien shook his head. "No. What if I encounter him and I am not ready? Facing him alone would be suicide." He paused, thinking. "But I do have a plan."
Vritra tilted her head. "And that is?"
"My special dungeons." Damien's voice was quiet. "It is something related to me. So do not worry about the details. But it will absolutely help me get stronger."
His mind was already racing. The C-class dungeon had appeared only when he was ready. Something had to change for him to gain access to the A-class dungeon. He needed to find it.
"I will roam the dungeon floors from Sixty to Seventy. See what I see. Report back once a day. If I find my dungeon, I will create a plan for you and the others to face Albion and Yinglong while I am inside—in case it comes to that."
Vritra nodded. "Hmm. Do what you must, my lord. Just know that I will do whatever I can to keep you safe from them. But the rest... you have to work hard. To reach the same level of power Ashborn had. To claim your right as the Lord of Shadows."
Damien turned to leave. "Well. I hope I can do that before this Lord of Light emerges."
He walked out of the room, his mind already set on the depths below.
...
"So the idiotic ones failed."
Albion stood atop a balcony carved from black stone, his white hair flowing in the cold wind. Below him, a massive army moved in perfect synchronization thousands of soldiers
Yinglong lounged beside him, her golden dress shimmering despite the lack of light. "Yes. But it was expected. I just wanted to see if the real Black One would pop out or not."
Albion's narrow eyes did not leave the army below. "And?"
"Oh, she did." Yinglong's face contorted in anger. "It was to be expected, though. She would never leave her beloved Shadow Monarch." Her voice dripped with venom. "That traitorous bitch."
"Do not lose yourself to emotions," Albion said coldly.
Yinglong took a breath. She straightened her dress and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You are right. Yes. I cannot lose myself now." Her voice softened. "Our true lord awaits. And now we know the force of Orario well. We will destroy that place."
Albion nodded. "Indeed. Our army grows stronger by the day. Conquering Orario will not be an issue now. Especially since we will not truly be involved. And Zeus and Hera are no longer there." His eyes gleamed. "So everything is up for grabs."
Yinglong smiled. "We may have to flatten the place and leave due to the rules. But I would like to think that this time will be the last time we destroy the army of gods." She looked up at the dark sky. "Because soon... our lord will awaken."
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