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And we have reached second world there, it being Cultivation Online.
***
Alan rose to his feet after a short rest, his breathing steady and his strength mostly recovered. He glanced once more at the long list of rare materials in his mind, then shook his head lightly.
"I'll deal with that later."
Right now, something else mattered more.
The hidden area.
Without hesitation, he picked up Iyargut and stepped toward the open passage. The moment he crossed the entrance, the atmosphere shifted completely. The air grew heavy, cold, and dense—so thick it felt like it carried weight.
The walls were no longer ordinary stone. Black crystals covered them from end to end, each one glowing faintly and pulsing like a slow heartbeat.
"…So this is the All Knowledge Core."
Alan walked deeper inside.
With every step, the pressure increased. It wasn't physical—it was something else. Something that pressed against his mind rather than his body.
Information.
Raw, compressed knowledge filled the space, making even his thoughts feel heavier.
Still, Alan continued forward.
Soon, he reached the center of the chamber.
A massive cluster of black crystals stood there, far larger than the rest. At its heart floated a perfectly shaped dark crystal, slowly rotating, breathing in and out energy like a living entity.
[ You have discovered: Core of All Knowledge ]
Alan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So this is the real reward."
He didn't rush. Instead, he observed it carefully, sensing the dangerous stability within it. Just touching it felt like it could overwhelm him.
He raised his hand—
Paused—
Then activated his appraisal skill.
Buzz—
The core reacted instantly.
A sharp pulse spread through the room.
[ Eye of Dantalian ]
Alan raised an eyebrow.
"…Interesting."
' So, this cave is related to an Great Demon. I should have guessed it when it was about Knowledge. Only Dantalian is someone who have lots of knowledge. Even legendary one, he can even use skills of legends.
Instead of stopping, he stepped closer and reached out again—this time without using any skill.
The moment his fingers touched the surface—
FLASH—!
A violent flood of information burst into his mind.
Images, formulas, unknown languages, blueprints—everything rushed in at once.
His body froze.
"—!"
But before it could overwhelm him—
[ Warning: Excessive data influx detected ]
[ Initiating filtration… ]
[ Initiating compression… ]
[ You have resisted the Knowledge of Greater Demon ]
The system reacted instantly, slowing the flood and forcing it into something manageable.
Alan exhaled slowly as the chaos settled.
He pulled his hand back, breaking the connection. The pressure faded instantly.
Even so, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Fragments of knowledge remained—small, incomplete, but valuable.
" I can use them as reference to create new skills I need" he mumbled smiling as he looked at the crystal wondering how can he take it.
he turned away and began inspecting the surrounding crystals. These were far more stable—safe to touch, safe to collect.
[ Black Knowledge Crystal ]
[ Contains condensed fragments of ancient information ]
[ Can be absorbed to increase skill profiency or used as crafting material ]
Alan nodded.
"…Much better."
He began collecting them one by one, storing them carefully.
But then—
A voice echoed out.
"Have you come seeking knowledge…?"
Alan froze for half a second.
Then—
[ You have heard the voice of the 25th Great Demon: Dantalion ]
His eyes sharpened.
Before he could react—
[ The voice of Dantalion is disturbing your mind ]
[ You have lost sense of reason ]
For a brief moment—
His thoughts blurred.
But—
[ You have resisted ]
The effect shattered instantly.
The voice returned, heavier this time.
Layered.
Whispering from multiple directions at once.
[ Dantalion is using: Demon Whispers ]
"…."
Alan's expression didn't change.
[ You have resisted ]
Again.
The pressure vanished like it never existed.
Silence.
The floating black crystals trembled slightly.
As if confused.
"…I see."
The voice came again, this time calmer.
"...You are…. someone strong enough to resist my corruption."
The crystals shifted.
Then—
A form began to emerge.
A figure made of shadow and distortion appeared in front of Alan.
Dantalion.
Its presence alone felt wrong.
Unnatural.
Its body was grotesque—eight faces blooming from a single neck like twisted petals.
Each face was different.
A smiling boy.
A smiling girl.
An anguished young man.
A sorrowful woman.
A confident gentleman.
A graceful lady.
A gentle grandmother.
An enraged grandfather.
All of them existed at once.
All of them staring at him.
Its presence carried a foul, suffocating aura—something that would make ordinary people collapse or vomit instantly.
But Alan simply stood there.
' he looks worse then it was described in book' Alan thought looking at the grotesque being infront of him.
Dantalion watched him for a few seconds.
Then—
A low, distorted chuckle echoed.
"…Interesting."
"…Very interesting."
The eight faces shifted slightly, focusing entirely on him.
"Most minds break the moment they hear me."
A pause.
"…But you…"
"…You didn't even show any discomfort."
Dantalion's many faces observed him closely, their expressions shifting in eerie harmony.
"…You are excellent."
A faint, distorted smile spread across several of its faces at once.
"How about becoming my contractor?"
The moment those words fell—
Notifications flashed rapidly in front of Alan.
[ Unique Growth-Type Class: Dantalion Contractor – Class Change Opportunity ]
[ If you accept Dantalion's offer, your class will change to "Dantalion Contractor." All existing classes and skills will be lost. Your race will partially change into Half-Demon. ]
Alan didn't hesitate.
"Reject."
The notifications disappeared instantly.
Dantalion paused.
All eight faces went silent for a moment.
Then—
"…Oh?"
Alan lifted Iyargut and pointed it straight at the demon.
"If you want a contract…"
"…let's fight."
His voice was calm.
"I've heard demons only submit to the strong."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Defeat me, and I'll become your slave."
A brief pause.
"But if I win…"
His grip on the sword tightened slightly.
"You'll become mine."
Silence.
The atmosphere froze.
All eight of Dantalion's faces stopped moving at once.
Then—
They slowly turned toward him.
One by one.
The smiling faces faded.
The gentle ones disappeared.
Only something darker remained.
"…You dare."
The voice came out layered, overlapping, no longer playful.
Heavy.
Cold.
A low, distorted laugh followed.
"Did you forget…?"
"…your kind's intelligence is very low."