Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

As green divine energy holograms of my teammates form around me, my shared vision with them allows them to feel as though they're in the room with me.

Ember waves his clawed hand, and a system message expands to connect with the Demon's communication setup in front of the long table used for business meetings.

Facing the glass wall, Ember, Abby, Maria, Arie, Raven, and I look forward at the city.

Looking back, in between us and the Citadel, Torvak, Asic, Zashen, the Blue Wyvern, and Ava look back.

Torvak initiated the connection, so he is the first to speak.

"This is more faces than I expected..."

The massive Blue Ogre, speaking, turns its gaze across everyone in the room, but surprisingly, my Noble Human form is larger than this 1st Class monster.

Even the dark-armored High Orc, Goblin Queen, and massive Berserker Giant—all of them stand at heights shorter than my own.

The only exception to this is the enormous Blue Wyvern, whose natural form dwarfs all of us.

"So, Seraphel was telling the truth. There really is such a thing as a Noble Human. I cannot verify these claims with my experience alone, but you certainly are no normal man..."

His head turns to the Wyvern, and he nods back, speaking in the deep tone I heard in the exile zones.

"There is no doubt in my mind—it is true. Even if it is meant to be impossible, this is the first Noble Human I've seen in all of my years alive."

The Wyvern's gaze scans us just like the Blue Ogre, but it is more interested in the four generals I've created holograms of.

"-And who are these guests? More humans, using a strange, unique transmission device local to your system?"

Its eyes shift back to mine, waiting for an answer to its question.

I inwardly grin and let my guests do the talking.

Maria is the first to talk back.

"Yes, we're humans... and—you're a real Wyvern..."

I make real-time adjustments to her expressions but leave out the intricacies of her core. The same goes for the others; all that is being projected is a detailed outline using green divine threads.

Abby speaks next, more focused on the point with her arms crossed.

"We're from the Lower Realm."

Arie and Raven are both awestruck by the figures they see before them.

Having tens of thousands of worlds connect to their system with other intelligent races to interact with is one thing, but standing in a room with other Lords like the Rising Emperor, with a backdrop of an enormous kingdom in the sky, is rightfully mind-blowing.

Despite this fact, the humans that look up at the massive monstrous Lords are not the ones with the most surprised looks on their faces.

Asic, the High Orc, commonly holding a stoic and unchanging expression—even in the heat of deadly battle—shows surprise and interjects the moment Abby reveals where they're from.

"The Lower Realm? What are you saying? That right now, we're having a live conversation with beings not here with us in the Upper Realm? I thought one of the Overseer's artifacts was necessary for a feat like that..."

I smirk and start shifting my Mana manipulation skill, combining the conceal aspect to it to paint a more realistic picture.

"Yes, it's true."

Yellow divine cores and the coloring of flesh appear before the Warlords' eyes. I leave out soul energy, Ether, and demonic energy in these visuals for simplicity again, but this is more than enough to even shock the Wyvern.

"Impossible..."

Zashen's initial reaction is shock, but now he just lets out a laugh.

"Ember told me this would be entertaining! But I never could have guessed it'd be something like this."

He laughs again, and a flash of the red I witnessed during his battle pulses in his eyes, but he keeps his composure while Torvak speaks next.

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"Yes, as expected, our leader of the past would only return prepared... It would need to be an outlier that defies the rules of the Upper Realm to soul bond with a human."

His gaze locks with mine.

"So, you've caused quite the political event. You must have a plan, right? We have three weeks at most until the automated surveillance footage of Ellipsia reaches the Grand Citadel."

I speak again, looking past all of the Warlords, out into the endless green clouds past the edge of the Citadel.

"I've already sent the footage of our duel directly to the Grand Citadel Lord."

My face shifts to a demon's, and horns grow out from my forehead, then disappear and shift back to show my Noble Human form again.

"He was expecting me, after all. What is a better way to infiltrate this Demon's home than to be invited in?"

Upon saying these words, the memories of Andras Vermillion resurface. There is a very clear pattern that occurs every time a new Demon is brought up from the Lower Realm.

The usual Citadels that the fast travel systems bring them to are Ellipsia or Mensa, and the Vermillion Family servants escort them to the central towers to be processed by the Noble in charge.

Andras processed many of these new demons and sent them off to the Fortress Citadel for training.

On rare occasions, usually when the new incoming demons were very strong 1st Class warriors, they were sent directly to the Grand Citadel at the end of every monthly processing cycle in order to participate in a fighting tournament to show their skills to the Family Head.

After both of these processes, the demons that were sent off always came back very different, and usually, it took decades for them to return.

With these thoughts in mind, and many memories of both the Mensa Citadel and Fortress clear in my consciousness, I continue speaking to the Warlords.

"There is nothing to fear. I wouldn't have made contact if it wasn't part of the plan. In the eyes of the Vermillion Family head, you're all dead. On your flight through the Citadel, all systems went dark—you're now ghosts. I've shut down the surveillance within this central tower completely as well. Nothing we're saying now will ever be recorded by the Citadel surveillance."

Zashen's eyes glow even brighter red, and he butts in.

"So when do we get to fight? I've heard there's another Noble Demon in the Mensa Citadel. Come on, I need another battle like that. I haven't felt so alive since the war..."

I grin as memories of the fortress surface in my mind.

"Patience. There are demonic forces you'll have the pleasure of killing soon... We have many preparations to get to beforehand."

My gaze leaves his and sweeps across everyone in the room. All of the Warlords look at me with a combination of awe, respect, unease, and loyalty—all for different reasons.

Ember just watches me speak with a mysterious look on his face, letting me take the reins now that he's managed to bring us all together.

I speak to my four human generals first.

"As discussed earlier, you know what you must do, and as fast as possible."

Then, I turn to Ava.

"You were not seen during the dueling recording, so technically, you're just a freed Exile in the eyes of the Citadel. I have a special job for you, and it involves leading other freed exiles below that may be in chaos now that the guardian was killed..."

–

Everyone patiently waits for a few minutes while I outline her job, then I turn back to the Warlords, tightening my gaze on Asic next.

"—And you. I've heard the Orcs can create quite intricate illegal avatars, right?"

He nods but doesn't respond, so I continue.

"Now that you're all dead, I want you to create new avatars without any limiters whatsoever. The central tower, including all of the funds this Demon left behind, are available to you if needed. Ask for resources and you will receive, and do not think of the consequences of being caught; because we will make the rules of this zone of the Upper Realm soon. I want all of the benefits of the premium and custom avatars, but no downsides."

I look at each of the Warlords one by one.

"For each of them."

Asic nods and speaks up.

"Understood. With enough time and resources, what you ask for can be done. I will need Torvak's help to source and create the perfect soul weapons. We have materials in long-term storage that cannot compare to what is available on this Citadel."

Torvak nods.

"It is true. I've warned the higher-ups in the Ogre Conglomeration of my absence hours ago when Ember first formulated this plan. They are loyal. A secure message will be sent after this meeting, but it will take a few days to retrieve the materials."

"Good," I reply before turning my gaze to the Berserker Giant and continuing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Zashen, I believe you have enough raw power to kill a Noble."

My head turns to Ember, and he nods.

"Yes, I believe all of the Berserkers would be able to do some serious damage if trained right. I will come to your base and personally train them."

I turn to the Blue Wyvern, who has gone silent, still looking at me with curious eyes full of wisdom.

"You had a question for me before we came up here—if the path of Nobility could be followed without being born into it..."

I pause for a moment.

"Apparently, the answer is yes."

The eyes of this creature show shock again, as my words infer that I was not always like this.

However, my next words make its hopeful expression fade.

"I don't know how to replicate it on anyone else. There is still a lot for me to learn. After our meeting here, I'd like to learn what this Path of Nobility really means, especially from one that walks this same path."

My senses focus on the vibrations I feel even through this holographic feed. They are not an energy source and cannot be suppressed. My curiosity for this sensation has been growing since the moment I unsealed my Noble Form.

Seraphel, the Blue Wyvern, replies, feeling my same vibrations through the hologram as well.

"It is forbidden knowledge, but an old Noble to a new, it is only right I teach you what I know."

I nod, then turn to everyone else in the room.

"Great. I'm waiting for one last piece to fall into place, then I will be sending out the finer details of attack strategy and a timeline for—"

I stop speaking mid-sentence, as another incoming call shows up on the transmission device in the central tower's top floor.

I go silent, and the other Warlords aren't sure why.

The human generals see what I see, but are not fully filled in on the events of today to understand the weight of the message popping up before me.

Ember takes a step back from Zashen's hologram and immediately turns his hybrid body into a full-sized dragon, flapping his wings and enveloping his body in dense demonic energy without saying a word.

I speak up while preparing to close out contact and deactivate my mana manipulation skill.

"It looks like I'll be able to send you that information faster than I thought... The Lord of the Grand Citadel is calling..."

I shift my face and complete body appearance back into the Noble Demon I killed on the human world and speak again.

"It appears he's taken the bait. I'm going to speak with the Vermillion Family Head."