Chapter 476 – An Insane Place

Since it was taking a while for Noir to shake off her stupor, Asterios decided to take matters into his own hands and walked up to the frozen girl. When he plopped his palm atop her hair and gave her a few pats, her figure shuddered and her fierce pupils snapped up at him. She snarled and ducked under his fingers, glaring at him angrily.

“Welcome back.” He smirked softly. “If you would rather visit somewhere else, we still have a few fun things I could show you.”

“I’m not scared!” She scowled, stomping closer to him.

“I didn’t say that.” Asterios held her gaze firmly. “The main market is that way, then.”

Passing by her shoulder, he started heading in the direction where the massive beast had disappeared. He didn’t need to look back to notice the shadow of indecision from his new friend before she unhurriedly caught up to him, matching his pace. The anticipation in her posture was clear, and it most likely wasn’t just pure excitement at the prospect of meeting the giant face-to-face.

The journey to their destination felt like it dragged out even though Noir didn’t delay them in any noticeable way. She was still the prideful and savage True Dragon as she always was. Perhaps a tad more uncertain now that she was about to face an unfamiliar enemy with unknown strength, which was to be expected. Back home, she most likely didn’t come across entities that would rival her and her mother. And those that could, were definitely well-known.

When they strolled into the open square riddled with stalls and mobile booths, the massive shape of the draconic titan entered their sight. From this close, it appeared even more impressive and scary. Even though it was simply napping atop a slightly raised platform at the back of the bazaar. No one paid it any mind, save for some children and tourists who wandered too close to its spot.

“See if you don’t find any interesting souvenirs while we are here.” Asterios winked at his partner.

Noir nodded absentmindedly, focused solely on the Great Guardian. Its eyes might be closed but she felt like the mighty overlord was aware of everything that transpired in front of its perch. And perhaps much further past all of this.

Soon enough, the duo found themselves by the platform, gazing up at the resting beast. It released a long huff, the sharp air tinged with tension usually felt during intense storms making their clothes flutter. Then, its huge eyelids lifted and revealed it peering right at them, causing one of the pair to shiver.

“Master.” A low rumble resonated through the air as it spoke.

The Dragon girl’s head snapped to Asterios. “This thing is your subordinate?!”

He smiled wryly. It wasn’t often Venuz called him that. Especially since he didn’t demand or expect such courtesy. They were usually on a first-name basis or some other terms like Dragon and such.

“Noir, meet Storm King Venuzathor. He is a Dracodon and has agreed to watch over my domain after accepting my summons.” Asterios gestured at the towering entity. “Storm King, this is Noir the Nightmare, my new ally and friend.”

“A black one, hmmm… I haven’t met many of your kind on the battlefields… They are smarter enough not to engage without a reliable plan…” Venuz regarded the raven-haired female lazily. “It is a pleasure to speak with someone who isn’t trying to chew off my wings, Little Dragon.”

“I’m not little!” Noir let out a loud growl.

The Dracodon shifted on its perch, his sizable jaws nearing the duo. When his thick lips parted, they uncovered fangs that rivaled in size her entire frame, forming a great white wall right in front of her. She stood still, intent on not showing any signs of fear. Her tail was hanging fairly low, however.

Yeah, Venuzathor was definitely messing with her from the very first moment.

“I did not mean to belittle you, little one.” The Dracodon retreated, moving his head back to its resting place. “You are as little to me as my master is. You should follow his example and stop paying so much attention to all the excessive meanings of one’s words. Life gets much more peaceful when you accept their depictions at face value or even embrace them.”

“You won’t win an argument with him.” Asterios smirked, throwing a thumb at the wise Storm King. “I always feel like a child when we talk, and even worse when we fight.”

“You fought this thing?!” She gaped at him.

“Yeah. That was one of his main requirements for staying.” He shrugged. “I got my ass handed to myself badly but I’ve learned so much about myself during all the following sessions. It hits differently when you duke it out with someone experienced in fighting off your kin.”

“You fought many True Dragons and got to live?” Noir turned to the Dracodon, a tinge of morbid fascination glinting in her grey eyes. “I’ve never seen anything like you in my life.”

A deep chuckle rolled through the market. “Dozens by this point. We keep ourselves mostly to our home realm and a few nearby ones. Not many True Dragons wander into those. My kin is very protective of its lands. Power-wise, we can’t rival the strongest and oldest members of your bloodlines, but we grow in size many times greater than you, and know how to use it to our advantage in battle.”

“I wonder how Mother would fare…” The Dragon girl chewed on her lip.

“Have you gone against your mother, Little Dragon?” Venuz exhaled heavily.

“Of course. Multiple times.” Noir looked up.

“Then why don’t you face me and decide for yourself?” He suggested. “The time of our next sparring is nigh, Master. I’m curious to see how much you progressed after your recent struggles. A good battle is a great opportunity to learn more about your companion’s style and personality.”

Asterios mulled it over as the feisty female observed him from the side. He wasn’t sure if the look she gave him was supposed to mean that she wanted out or in. Ultimately, Venuz was right and some physical brawling would allow them to understand each other better. So far, they had fought only once and it didn’t last long.

“I think it’s a good idea. Would you prefer we do it after the second task I need you for, which might result in quite the scuffle, or should we squeeze this training session into the morning?” He glanced at her ponderingly. “I don’t want to risk delaying this matter too much as it might threaten the lives of my allies and the friends of one of my mates.”

Noir considered her thoughts on it too before getting back to him.

“We want to be in our best shape for that, then. If you are confident in your mate’s healing prowess, I have to admit, I’m a bit thrilled to battle such a big opponent without it being to the death, and I would be interested in partaking in this challenge after a good night’s rest. You have your Dryad so you don’t need to worry about injuries that much.” She tapped her chin.

“It’s settled, then.” Asterios grinned and extended his fist to her. “Tomorrow morning, we roll, Partner?”

She stared at it without much comprehension at first, but after taking a peek at his face, she copied the motion and he bumped their knuckles together, his black leather gloves smacking against her soft but sturdy skin.

“I shall await you at the usual spot.” Venuzathor wiggled around to settle himself into a better position. “Now, if you excuse me, I have a delicious snack to digest. I like to think I’ve earned this much with my efforts.”

Snorting, Asterios shook his head and began leading Noir away, back into the maze of shopkeepers and traders.

“Anything you would like to see next or do you need a break?” he asked while peering into one of the stalls.

“I’m not some frail female you need to dote on!” She scowled and whipped her tail against his leg. “Perhaps the dungeon? I’m wondering what’s the theme. The ones in our realm usually develop rather foul environments to discourage as many challengers as they can, giving themselves time to develop enough not to be squashed instantly by a group of Dragons.”

“Remind me to take you dungeon sightseeing one day, then. Our world houses numerous distinct ones that are engaging to explore. I’ve personally been to a few and managed to fully clear one, an undead domain. Our mission was to get rid of it, but it still was a fun experience.” Asterios reminisced. “As for Kori’s little kingdom, it’s kind of like all those combined into one, then tailored to your attempt like the fittest clothes.”

That intrigued her even more so he transferred them to the tent settlement. Explaining its purpose, he gave her a quick tour of the camp, let Suanori know they would be taking a look inside, and led them to the swirling entrance. Feeling a tad mischievous, he pushed her past the edge when she was leaning over to peer into the darkness, catching the look of betrayal and promise of revenge as she plunged into the dungeon, following right after her.

As he had hoped, Kori brought them together into a night-bathed space and he had to start dodging and weaving the furious fists that swished through the air while aiming for his torso. The pair jumped around for a while before Noir realized that something wasn’t right. Asterios pointed beneath them and her eyes widened in fascination. They stood above a floor that was in the middle of being completed, peering through a see-through ceiling.

For the next ten to twenty minutes, he summed up how the dungeon actually worked while transferring them between various rooms and chambers. She was flabbergasted by the variety of encounters and monsters, making up challenges of all levels and complexity. Most opponents wore dark and shadowy shades with some touches of purplish hues, but it still felt like the diversity was quite wide.

Promising Noir as many delves in the future as she would like, Asterios guided them closer to the most important compartment. After one more jump, they surfaced in the Core Chamber, a spacious cavern with a half-cut pyramid atop which the Ring Core rested with its newly added sphere rotating in its center in the opposite direction. The structure was protected by a tremendous fort and tens of Monster Forges riddled the area, churning out their creations before sending them out into the challenged floors.

“I haven’t seen that many Core Chambers, but these weird portals aren’t normal, are they?” Noir asked, glancing at the hardworking gates.

“You are right. They are connected to the Void. A local disaster resulted in the creation of the dungeon and it influenced its arrival and functionality. We’ll reach that point in our story someday.” Asterios put his hands on his sides. “These pull Void energy and shape it into any monster the Core knows. And considering the fact Kori can somehow dig up the memories related to such from the minds of the battling adventurers, you’ll find all kinds of beasts in her arsenal.”

He took her to the central monument and they climbed the short mountain, arriving right before the Core. Shadows pooled in front of them and the familiar misty shape of Kori rose from the floor, taking the form of a short maid with glowing slits for eyes.

“Master.” The ominous entity bowed politely.

“Again?!” Noir jerked back. “The Dungeon Core too?!”

Asterios scratched his head. “We ended up… coming to an agreement after our first encounter. I was hesitant to destroy such a fine place days after it made itself known.”

“And now I manage these halls according to Master’s wishes.” Kori spread her arms wide. “He lets me feed, he lets me grow, he lets me learn and live a life like none other. In return, I simply provide a suitable environment for training, practice, but also challenge and trial.”

“Does that mean you control the dungeon?” The Dragon girl blinked at him. “And everything that happens inside?”

The dark avatar snapped her fingers and the platform trembled a bit. Two pillars of black stone grew behind her, separated by about ten meters of empty space. In that space, grew smaller lines made of something resembling crystal. They formed rectangles, creating a dark wall with twelve flat window panes.

When she snapped her fingers again, Asterios understood what was going on. Kori must have glimpsed a memory from the Elf Nation and witnessed their image-transferring panels. His assumption was proved correct a beat later when those glass sheets lit up with scenes of fighting or puzzle-solving from all around the dungeon.

“With just a word from Master, I can alter every variable in a flash,” Kori stated.

To demonstrate her point, she sneakily pulled out a few monsters from a critical situation, which was going to save a group’s healer from a close brush with death. Somewhere else, she sealed the doors behind another team, springing a timed trap and throwing them into a panic. For a party that seemed to breeze through their challenges, she empowered the Floor Guardian they were fighting, effectively rejuvenating it and giving it a stronger second phase like in some of those fictional hero tales.

“That feels like cheating…” Noir muttered.

“I assure you we don’t play around with people’s delves for pure amusement.” Asterios snickered. “But, it’s a useful feature that allows adventurers from practically every rank to enjoy their time conquering the dungeon. For those looking after simple entertainment, we can provide easy fights resulting in pure joy. For those meaning to test themselves, we can provide hellish trials that will push them to their limits. You get the idea.”

“You turned a dungeon into an actual attraction.” She laughed openly. “Now, that’s what I call genius! I pity any of your enemies who stumble into it without knowing what they are getting into! This has so much potential for scheming and mental torment!”

“Uhuhuhuh, that’s right.” A deep voice echoed through the den.

Next to the shadowy maid, a shadowy butler formed, standing somewhat taller than his compatriot.

Noir flinched, taking one step back, her thin pupils locked on the menacing shape. “What is that?”

“Ah. Great timing. I was just about to ask for you.” Asterios smiled cordially at his old friend. “This here is the Duke of—no, the Sovereign of Umbra, the current deity of the Nethernight Realm where we have greeted you in, and one of my first familiars. He lent us his home for the ritual, watching over the proceedings to ensure nothing bad happened.”

“Familiar?” The Dragon girl stared dubiously. “But… He is strong? More than the Dracodon?”

“I’m well aware of that. After the recent developments, he is most likely multiple times more powerful than I am.” He grinned proudly. “He is also the one who taught me all about the shadows, including the movement technique.”

Umbra curtsied faintly. “The energy that can now be sensed from my being can be greatly misleading. It comes from the heart of the realm that I’ve become connected to. While I’m experienced and proficient in the ways of darkness, Master still has plenty of ways to kill me if he gets serious about it.”

“I’d rather it never came to that.” Asterios shook his head with a dry expression.

“Prudent words.” Another voice reached their ears, much more monotone and right behind Noir’s head.

The usually composed female leaped into the air like a spooked cat and spun around, instinctively lowering her posture into a combative one, scales crawling up her arms and neck.

“What the fuck are you?!” Noir snarled viciously, then stilled, a violent quiver rocking her whole body, her pupils turning into pinpricks.

Asterios saw her irises glimmer with power before she screamed in agony and dropped to her knees, catching her face in her hands. He was beside her in an instant, directing his artifact glove to chart a rejuvenating formation as he pushed her palms away and delicately massaged her closed eyes, streams of blood leaking from their corners. Even through all this pain, her mouth was twisted in a quiet growl of defiance.

It lessened a little as the restorative power took care of whatever injury she had suffered. Tending to the wounded girl, he took a peek over his shoulder at their mocha-skinned visitor. She regarded the pair with a nonplussed look, observing the scene calmly as she usually did. He didn’t think she had hurt his new friend on purpose. As wicked as she was with her appearing acts, that simply wasn’t her.

“What the hell… is this…?” Noir glowered at the tall female over Ast’s shoulder, one bloodshot eye open furiously. “It’s like… Like… Gazing into an endless…”

“Abyss?” The woman tilted her head along with the galaxy-padded hat. “That’s me.”

“What happened?” Asterios frowned, unsure about the recent incident.

“If you ever wish to peer into the depths of my existence, you should warn me ahead of time so I prepare not to break your mind.” Abyss leaned a bit forward atop her misty cloud, appearing fairly frightening with the swirling pits of her eyes. “Because if you fearlessly peer into the abyss…”

“The abyss peers back into you…” he quoted her own words from their first encounter. “I’m sorry, Noir. I knew she would choose the worst possible moment and place to show up but didn’t warn you. I hoped we had a bit more time.”

Noir met his worried gaze, looking back at him for a moment, then scoffing to the side. However, since she accepted his aid to stand up without any resistance, it made him feel like she didn’t mean that in a bad way. Still, as soon as she regained her balance, he let go of her, allowing the spunky girl to preserve fragments of her draconic pride. She didn’t immediately move away from him, which was fortunate.

“Who the fuck is she?” Noir kept glaring at Abyss. “Don’t tell me she too…?”

“No, there’s no way. You saw yourself how monstrous she is. She just hangs around and we have nothing to say about that.” Asterios chuckled quietly. “Abyss is the original creator of the Nethernight Realm and its inhabitants.”

“Creator?!” Her eyes almost popped out of her sockets. “She is a goddess?!”

“Gods are just constructs of perception amongst weaker individuals, especially mortals.” The person in question floated around to put some distance between them and stopped by the other duo. “I simply wield the power to achieve my goals, which may or may not be grander than most. It’s a matter of perspective once more. Like everything in this universe. And that’s why I constantly observe it from up close.”

“She might be unbelievably strong, but she rarely involves herself with anything. Although, we did exchange some favors and helped each other with a thing or two.” Asterios inclined his head respectfully.

“And while I haven’t yet fully returned mine, I’m biding my time while supporting your companions in other endeavors until the matters of the dwarves are resolved, revealing what they might be hiding about your memories.” Abyss returned the gesture. “Now, since my presence seems to introduce slight discomfort in the atmosphere, I shall return to my observations.”

In one blink she was there, in the next she was gone, leaving Noir stupefied at the experience.

Did she calculate everyone’s facial movements and time her exit when their blinking aligned or did each of them see their own version of her?

“We shall retreat to our work too, then.” Umbra exchanged glances with Kori and the duo bowed, dispersing afterward.

The Core Chamber fell into a quiet lull interrupted mostly by the crackling noise of the crystal wall reuniting with the ground. Asterios and Noir found each other’s gazes and held them in silence for a good while.

“They are right. As much as I greatly enjoy your company, I have things to tend to too.” He offered her a warm smile. “Feel free to explore further if you wish to. Umbra won’t block your Shadow Transfer and will even aid it if necessary. Just, be mindful of our citizens. A True Dragon amongst the crowds might be a tad dangerous.”

“Dangerous for them?!” She threw her arms into the air. “I’m the one in danger of taking a corner and bumping into leviathans and gods! This place is insane!”

Throwing him one last wrathful glare, she called for her gate and disappeared in its mist.

It looked like he managed to find her limits, in the end.