One With The Abyss

[You have killed a Divine Dragon: <+Divine Dragon Slayer Title>]

[Proof you have killed a Divine Dragon. Massively increases damage against dragons. Minor increase in damage against beings with divine energy, able to sense divine energy. Allows user to create a <Slayer> aura]

"Guess that proves it's fully dead." I chuckled, looking over the latter half of the title. 

From what I could tell, by reaching the very peak of any 'slayer' title, one could create (turn off and on) a passive aura that makes weaker creatures fear you. Quite useful in thinning out herds of mob monsters.

On the other hand, sensing divine energy was much more peculiar. With [Clairvoyance] I should have been able to see literally everything, but now little sparks of golden energy appeared and disappeared at random all around me, yet no matter how much I tried I could not control any of it.

"Peculiar. But there is nothing I can do with this." 

"Let's take a lookie at the rewards then." I laugh, wandering over to the pile of items and chest.

[Final Door Key]

[Opens the final door]

"Brief..." I mutter, taking in the carving on the head of the key made to look like the head of a dragon.

The other items sitting on the floor were various dragons parts:

[Divine Dragon Scale]

[Divine Dragon Heart]

[Divine Dragon Meat]

[Divine Dragon Eye]

[Divine Dragon Tendon]

[Divine Dragon Stomach Acid]

[Divine Dragon Horn]

[Divine Dragon Teeth]

[Divine Dragon Claw]

[Divine Dragon Leather]

[Divine Dragon Blood]

[...]

Basically every part of the dragon was all neatly cut up in front of me. It was a shame I didn't have the skill to make use of most of it, but I was still looking forward to eating parts of the meat. After storing all of the items I went to check the chest.

Inside were 2 items: 

[World Golem Core]

[Golem core that only forms in the presence of divinity, being the most powerful type of golem the master may freely apply enchantments onto the core itself]

I had come across hundreds of golems and could tell this core was in a league of its own. Since the golem core was the centre of its being, enchanting it would be the same as applying power directly into the golem itself.

"You should head over to the gnomes or dwarfs with this." Abby told me, looking over the core.

"Why? Aren't the elves better enchanters?" I ask, thinking back on my knowledge on the races.

"Sure, but gnomes and dwarfs are amazing inscriptionists which are less fluid than enchantments, but far more powerful."

I nod in appreciation before looking to the next item. It was a very large bottle of alcohol called [Dragon's Blood], because it could apparently knock a dragon out with a single sip. This was appreciated as I had come to develop an intense resistance to all poisons, including alcohol, though I could somewhat turn it off and get drunk; it wasn't the same.

"And now the talent!" Abby said, jumping in before me. I frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable that my routine had been disturbed, but I decided to ignore it and continue:

[Origin Dragon Tongue]

[You can now speak the language known only to the original race of dragons. As a magic language it can invoke magic to occur by speaking alone]

"Cool." I looked into my mind and see what I could do before my mouth burst open and my hand sprung up:

"𝐵𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽" 

Like with the dragon, a cone of golden fire burst forward in front of me, I could keep it going so long as my energy allowed so I stopped and thought about what else I could do.

My eyes widened as I saw sparks of divinity come into reality as the word was spoken, then they burnt up and disappeared to fuel the fire.

𝐵𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 Allowed me to create that same golden fire, I also learnt it held trace amounts of divine energy which is what made it as potent as it was.

𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓁𝑒 Allowed me to create a powerful barrier, it was almost entirely invisible and extremely sturdy.

𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓌 Was a powerful slashing attack, leaving 3 deep cuts in any opponent.

𝒯𝒶𝒾𝓁 fWas a blunt attack, one I was familiar with from when the dragon kept punching me. Though I was glad to know I didn't have to use the actual body part to use the spell as having to grow a tail for every attack would be annoying.

Finally was 𝒲𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 which was mostly useless as it just allowed me to fly at incredible speeds which [Gravity Manipulation] did better, but I was still glad to have it.

These were the main ones, having the most potent magic effect. The [Origin Dragon Tongue] was still just a language, even if simply using it drew mana towards you.

However, all of these abilities had one thing in common: Divinity. Merely speaking the words brought the energy into existence, the excess spreading around; I wanted to know more, and thankfully a walking database of information was sitting right in my head.

"Abby, -" I began.

"I can't tell you." She completely cut me off before I even asked.

"Come on. Isn't there anything?" I pleaded, eliciting an exasperated sigh to come across the psychic web. Abby then gave some small information.

"It isn't what you think it is, it's just another type of energy with an overblown name. But don't underestimate it, divine energy - and others within its league - are as strong as abyssal energy." She explained, "I can't tell you more until you open [Eternity]."

Although she didn't explain much, it was still big news. Abby, the Abby who did nothing for the past 8 years besides talk about how great the abyss was, just said there are things as powerful as abyssal energy. I thought I would faint from the notion alone.

"Shut it. I talked about other things." She responded as I mocked her in my head.

"Yeah, you also talked about how this place is a prison non-stop." I laughed, "On that note... It's about time we find what's been hiding down here for so long."

Place all of my new items within a pocket dimension I had created to replace my cute backpack and pulled out my 10 keys.

On the door there were 10 key holes, each denoted by an image. I followed the instructions and placed each key into the hole, but they wouldn't turn.

"Fuck." I muttered, "Guess I got the wrong key..."

I was joking of course, but it only added to the intrigue. To unlock the door, you needed 10 people to simultaneously turn their keys. Just another layer of security being added, making my heart race slightly.

I could obviously ignore this as 10 arms sprung out from my back and held onto each of the keys, with [Formless] coordination was as easy as thinking it.

The keys clicked into place and the door began to open, allowing me to notice yet another layer of security that I dispelled with ease. Opening the door normally would have activated a spatial magic trap, one I had faced on lower floors before and learnt to detect and dismantle.

Walking inside showed me down another, smaller, spiral staircase that I quickly descended. On the way down I talked with Abby, she was mostly just worried about what was down here, but I had other concerns.

"This better not be some dumb cliche." I grumbled during the descent.

"What are you talking about?" Abby asked in the same tone she had when I talked like this.

"You've seen plots like this right." I responded, "Some weak hero, who is actually the strongest, gets betrayed and abandoned in a dungeon, but getting to the end they find a sealed up prisoner who has the body of a twelve year old girl, but is actually a bajillion years old, so all the creepy romance stuff is fine."

"This is real life Nox." Abby reprimanded, "There are no cliches in real life."

"Tch."

What I found at the bottom was a wooden door, much like the type one would see in a castle's dungeon. Reaching it, the door was obviously locked, but the bigger surprise was that it was locked from the inside, not the outside; this left me with no option but to knock the door down, revealing a dusty room full of books and a large, sealed vault.

Yet, at a desk was a set of bones, laid over a letter.

"Should I read it." I wondered aloud, "Seems like I'll be cursed if I disturb the body."

"Just look at the letter you asshole." It seemed I was making Abby even more annoyed than usual.

To whomever finds this not, and may the great spirits allow it to not be a human, I have found a way to turn the tides in this war, for I have discovered the truth of the human's [Holy Light]

During the start of the war, the great scholars, who had gathered from across the continent, were among the first human's first targets. As it stands now, I am the last of those scholars. We were driven away constantly as we attempted to protect our research until only I was able to escape with what remained.

On that day, I vowed to ensure this war would end in a righteous victory and stole one of the human's [Holy Lights]. As of writing this letter, it is locked within the vault.

I worked tirelessly to come up with a solution, but it is only now, as my life is coming to an end, where I have managed to even learn what the [Holy Light] actually does, and it is not in any way divine.

To understand, one must consider the 8 factions.

Each faction has its own set of... Quirks, aspects of their faction that makes them unique:

The titans are large

The fiends souls act in an abnormal manner, etc

Throughout recorded history, this was true for all factions except the humans. Warranting their own faction, simply because they lack any unique aspects, but it is only now that I have discovered what that uniqueness is: Mana!

All living creatures have a mana core, a metaphysical entity within their body from which our ability to manipulate mana stems, it has had many names such as the dantian, the life essence core, and many more; but I have come to realise that this is not the only source of mana in the body.

Through my research I was able to find another source of mana within the body. That being the body itself. Upon deeper study I came upon the discovery of impossibly small blocks that make up all organic matter, I even hypothesised that under the right conditions, creatures made up of a single one of these small blocks could exist - but I digress.

However, after capturing a human I noticed a distinct lack of passive mana. They had mana cores, but their blocks were completely devoid of mana; this is their unique quality as even the beastfolk have mana built into their very bodies.

With this new knowledge I took another look at the [Holy Light] and discovered its true purpose.

The light it emitted had anti-magic properties, anti-magic being an energy that disrupts mana preventing magic from forming.

It was in such tiny amounts that it had negligible effects on spells and skills, but the blocks of organic matter were equally small.

Despite being too weak to stop actual magic, or disrupt the mana core, the [Holy Light] disrupted the mana in the other 7 factions blocks and without mana, the blocks would begin to die.

This is why non-humans feel weakened under the [Holy Light] while humans are completely fine, they lack any of this passive mana and so their building blocks can remain unperturbed by the effects of the antimagic light.

Unfortunately, I also came upon another discovery. Should too many of these blocks be destroyed, they lose the ability to reproduce, a fact I learned through experience.

So, I write this letter knowing my time is coming to an end. I only hope that the ones who find this letter can put an end to the war and stop the humans for good.

-Professor E.Veltra

"..."

"..."

"... Heavy." I muttered.

"Is that all you have to say!?" Abby almost yells, "You just uncovered a major secret about the human's strongest weapon and all you can say is 'heavy'"

"Yeah, pretty much." I replied, it was how I felt, "Anyway, how does this affect me?"

"Haah... Little, your 'building blocks', likely meaning cells, are fused with abyssal energy not mana." Abby informed me after sighing deeply, "Though that only helps you, not anyone else."

"Still good to know." I say, pulling everything besides the corpse into my storage dimension, causing the corpse to hit the floor, "Now what?"

"Well, the dungeon is done, so you leave." Abby told me, I was about to comply when I remembered something and began giggling.

"Pretty crazy how what was at the bottom of the dungeon is the exact opposite of what you've been warning me  about for the past eight years..."

"..."

"... Shut up."

Initially I was going to just go back the way I had come, but instead I noticed something. With [Clairvoyance] I happened to notice a hidden room behind a bookcase, within the wall were a series of gears and hinges that would allow the bookcase to swing open. I could have looked around with [Clairvoyance] and found the way to actually open the door, but I didn't really care enough to do that.

Ignoring the mechanism for opening it, I ripped the bookcase out of the way and entered the room; revealing an elaborate magic circle on the floor and nothing else. It was quite familiar in 2 ways: It was very similar to the one on the floor of the human castle, but I also recognised some of the runes - being both space and time related.

"A teleport circle..." I mutter, looking closer. Its primary function was to teleport the user away in an emergency, but I also noticed some 'fate' runes. Specifically, these runes would ensure that where the teleporter ends up is completely random, a perfect defence mechanism as it would be impossible to follow.

"Why does this guy have such control over space and time magic?" I ask, looking over the circle to make sure it's safe.

"He likely just had a talent for it." Abby responded matter-of-factly, "Time, space and matter talents are rare, but not unique to you."

That was good enough for me and I stepped into the circle. As with all larger scale spatial transferences I began to feel weightless and crackles of purple lightning appeared again, something I learnt was related to space travel.

I lost my sight once again before feeling myself dropping to the ground. I let myself fall, but became irritated that after 5 minutes I had still not hit the floor yet so increased the gravity on myself.

It was pitch black all around me, stars shining in the night along with the moon and I took great pleasure in taking in my first real breath of fresh air in 8 years.

A minute after I increased gravity, and I was beginning to burn up, I burst through the cloud belt and could see the land below me. I was more than able to enjoy the scenery, seeing a couple cities as well as a large amount of demi-humans.

"Looks like I'm on Gehenna then." I said to Abby through our psychic link.

"Seems it, though the harsh landscape gives it away." I nod in response as I finally hit the ground, causing dirt and stone to explode around me. 

I laugh a little at the extravagant landing as I try to pull myself up from the crator I had created, thankfully I could distinctly hear the sounds of people talking - all very surprised that something had just crashed right in front of them - so I would be able to ask for directions.

"Hello there, gentlemen. Mind Telling me where exactly I am." I said to the crowd of people who stood before me as I dusted dirt off of my clothes. I didn't need to do that as I could have used earth magic, or even just made new clothes; but it felt right.

"DIE!" One of the men yelled, swinging his sword at me.

"Well, that's a bit rude..." I mutter, grabbing the sword from the air. As the man struggles to pull his blade from my grasp I take a closer look at all of the men here, noticing that they are all wearing identical armour - but more strikingly, they were all humans.

"Gross..." I said, punching the man, who was still trying to reclaim his weapon, and breaking his spine.

"It's a dangerous one, pull out the holy light!" A larger man, with a cut along is face, in the back called out, I didn't try to stop them as it would be a perfect opportunity to see if this thing affected me or not like Abby said.

"Haha! Prepare to grovel demon!" The knight who pulled out the holy light said. Each of the men had horrendous grins across their face as they got closer, not even considering that I may be unaffected.

They surrounded me and began closing in as I looked around absentmindedly. When they were close enough to grab me, spikes of metal extended from my body and skewered 9 of the 10 remaining knights, only the large one, whom I believed to be the leader, managed to avoid certain death - though he was injured.

He pulled himself to his feet, golden light beginning to shine on his sword as he charged at me. I could tell he was an excellent swordsman, not only was his aura stable, but his technique was amazing.

Of course I only saw it through my future sight and probability control as I used wind magic to cut off his legs and smash into his chest, causing him to fall backwards.

"... What the hell are you!" He screamed, blood coming from his mouth.

"Hmmmm." I think for a moment as I bring myself closer, "I don't know if it's worth telling you since you're about to die... Buuut. I'm Nox, the King of Ruin, and soon to be Empress of Gehenna."

I see confusion and fear in the knight's eyes right before his head flies from his body.

I look at the dead body, somewhat glad and somewhat scared I didn't feel anything at all for him; like looking a rock laid on the side of the road. I don't feel regret or disgust knowing I've killed a person, I don't even have strong feelings relating to the person himself - he's just dead.

"... Well! Let's go see what cargo they have!"