529. Reval of a Nation

[Basilisk - Lvl. 205]

It lay there before me. A Primordial Demon. A creature with an undulating body. It was massive. But compared to the [Hellabomination], it was small. Like a [Senior Centinel]. It wasn’t even a hundred feet long.

It had silver-gray scales, and a terrible maw hiding hundreds of teeth. Its figure was coiled into a ball where it lay in the center of a massive spell circle. I blinked a few times, and its eyes snapped open.

“Fuck—”

I cursed backed away, but the [Basilisk] was faster. It lashed out, hissing as it unhinged its jaw. Even though the chamber was a thousand feet wide, and I was far from the center, the Primordial Demon reached me in an instant.

I couldn’t even react. [Angelic Premonition] didn’t blare in my head in time. I couldn’t use [Greater Teleportation], nor could I activate [Divine Haste]. I tried to use [Warped Time], but the [Basilisk] was already closing its fangs around me.

I reeled, closing my eyes. And there was a flash of light.

Blinking, I looked up to see a crimson dome blocking the [Basilisk]’s attack. Its jaws slammed against a translucent wall, and sparks flew out in all directions. I stared for a moment as [Divine Haste] and [Warped Time] finally activated. Then [Angelic Premonition] screamed in my head, warning me to get back.

But the Primordial Demon didn’t reach me. It couldn’t reach me. The ritual circle flashed behind it, creating a barrier that saved my life. I stared for a few moments as the [Basilisk] continued ramming into the walls of its prison, before drawing back.

I tried to work my trembling jaw. I met the [Basilisk]’s gaze, and it peered at me with golden eyes. Eyes that looked almost like mine.

“H-huh…”

I swept my gaze around the room, backing up with shaky feet. There was a vast carpet of moss blanketing over the ground, and I saw crystals hanging from above, lighting up the circular chamber. They rattled as the [Basilisk] continued assailing the crimson dome, and bits of shards showered over the Primordial Demon.

I wiped at my forehead as I sighed.

“Well, that was… close?”

I wasn’t really sure what else there was for me to say. I had been completely caught off-guard by this [Basilisk]. I didn’t even expect there to be any Primordial Demons here in this Dungeon. In fact— I didn’t even expect there to be any other Primordial Demons in the Netherworld other than my dad, the Demon King, and the Beast!

“Um… good [Basilisk]?”

I raised a hand placatingly, and the Primordial Demon snarled.

I was wrong. Here, in this Dungeon— in the ruins of what had been my father’s kingdom— lay a Primordial Demon. Who knew how long it had slumbered? Who knew how long it had waited? It must not have been disturbed by anything or anyone in eons!

And now, here I was. I had stumbled into the edge of its cage. So it eyed me as I glanced to the left, facing the walls of the room. Most of the chamber was encapsulated by the crimson dome, but there was a sliver of space circling the entire perimeter. I frowned as I brushed my fingers against the cold stone wall.

I wiped away the dust, revealing runes. No— not runes. Symbols? Or rather, abstract… artwork? I narrowed my eyes as I raised a clawed hand, before sending a blast of gray flames over the walls of the room. I cleared out the dust in mere moments, without actually damaging the structural integrity of the chamber.

The [Basilisk] stared at my back the entire time as I unveiled a vast array of pictures hiding in the walls of this room. I saw sketches— carvings made into the stone by nail or by claw. They looked like they had been painted once, but now there was nothing left but the vague shapes.

Faint artworks.

Scenes?

It was telling a story. I slowly walked around the room, occasionally glancing back at the [Basilisk]. It didn’t growl, but it let out a soft hissing sound— one that almost sounded like a thousand whispers.

I shook my head, focusing on the unfurling story. I saw drawings of a man. A Demon. A [Fiend]. At first, he was depicted to be a powerful warrior. He stood atop a mountain of corpses as he raised a spear. Demons of all kinds and shapes feared him— they fled from his mere gaze.

But then cracks tore through the Netherworld. At first, I thought these images were showing me the same scenes I saw tearing through the plane. But it was different. These were… portals?

And figures descended from the sky. Beings that seemed so impossible to imagine. They looked like blurred figures in these sketches. Like whoever who tried to depict their image just clawed on the wall. They defeated the Demon with ease. Even though he had been so powerful, he was humbled in a mere moment.

“These are…?”

The images continued. The Demon knelt before these beings, and they created images. Rifts in space. They showed… other worlds? And my eyes flickered. I recalled what my dad had shown me just before. I remembered Xidra’s stories when I was in the Plaguelands.

Finally, I realized what they were.

“Worldwalkers.”

I blinked. I felt a shiver run down my spine— like a frigid breeze was washing over me. Even from these scratched drawings, I could feel their… power. The aura they exuded. Each of them like my dad, but many of them even stronger.

I remembered what I had been shown, then I looked past these murals depicting the Worldwalkers. I saw how they helped the Demon build a kingdom. And I watched as thousands of [Fiends], [Incubi], [Succubi], [Djinns], [Jinns], and more now knelt before him.

There he was, raising what vaguely seemed like a pitchfork. With his tail and his hooves. His horns and his goatee. The realization slowly settled in, and I whispered.

“Wait, is this how my Dad became the Devil King—”

And the [Basilisk] shrieked. My eyes grew wide as I spun around, hearing the Primordial Demon thrash behind me. It was no longer just glaring at my back. It lashed out once again, gnawing at the barrier as it whipped its tail my way. I watched as the translucent cage flashed, then narrowed my eyes.

“Did it react that way because I said the Devi—”

I started, but the [Basilisk] screeched louder than before. The entire cave chamber rumbled as it curled back, eyeing me angrily. I raised my Divine Nebular Scythe warily, unsure what it would do. I knew it couldn’t reach me, but I couldn’t be too safe.

And I was right. The Primordial Demon’s eyes shifted. I watched as its pupils faded away, and the irises changed colors. The golden color from earlier vanished, now replaced with a gray glow.

I blinked a few times.

“Wha—”

Then I felt an odd sensation wash over me. An uncomfortable feeling trickled up my arm as I tried to reassure myself. The [Basilisk] can’t hurt me through the barrier… right?

I looked at it, then I caught a glimpse of a glint. A flicker of light. And it came from the broken bits of rock lying at the Primordial Demon’s tail. But it wasn’t just there— the shattered stone was scattered across the room, even beneath my feet.

I glanced down at debris, then I heard a crack. My eyes went wide as pieces of rock broke off my arm, falling to the ground.

“Huh.”

My right arm was turning to stone. I just stared for a moment in complete disbelief. Somehow, even through the barrier, the [Basilisk] had attacked me. With its mere gaze, it was able to hurt me. No— not just hurt me. It was turning my entire being to stone!

I looked down in shock as my stomach began to be overcome with a gray color. It ached. It was a very weird feeling, but I knew that it hurt. I tried to raise my legs to get out of the way, but only one of my legs responded. My other foot was planted firmly on the ground, completely frozen. I groaned, trying to stumble forward.

But the [Basilisk] just shrieked again. I felt its gaze intensifying— somehow bearing down on me with even more overwhelming power than before. I tensed up as I felt my back cracking. I gritted my teeth.

“This is…”

It was the power of a Primordial Demon. Even when caged, it was killing me. I was dying. The thought coldly crossed my mind as panic refused to sink it. I couldn’t panic. I just felt cold. I just felt my movements slow.

I heard [Angelic Premonition] blaring in my head. I realized I was going to die. But I felt no sense of urgency. I just slowly blinked as my scales were turned to stone. My skin hardened, and my free leg froze as I took a step back. I raised my left arm, only for my clawed fingers to break off. I looked up, staring at the [Basilisk] as it overwhelmed me with its curse magic.

And I moved my lips.

“[My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends].”

All at once, I broke free from the [Basilisk]’s grip. I tore through the stone layering over my body. My right arm shattered, only to instantly regrow with renewed vigor. I ripped through my flaking scales, and a fresh set of sheening skin covered my body. The Primordial Demon paused, watching me as I screamed. As my emotions returned to me.

“You— STOP!”

The [Basilisk] paused for a fraction of a second as gray flames wisped off my body. The fire melted the stone away like ice, and I raised my head. I glared at the Primordial Demon through the translucent barrier, before pointing.

“[Sacred Hellfire]!”

And I spread my [Angelic Wings] wide. Six wings unfurled from my back, and I rose to the sky. I watched as the [Basilisk] reeled back, breaking free from my [Intimidation], only to burst into black flames. It glared up at me, its eyes still glinting, and my skin hardened for a brief moment.

But I shrugged the attack off as I flew back towards the tunnel where I came from. The Primordial Demon tried to give chase, only to slam against the walls of its prison once more. It hissed at me as I sped up, ascending up and away from this large chamber, protected by my Grand Skill.

I glanced back one last time, meeting the gray eyes of the [Basilisk]. It burned. My [Sacred Hellfire] continued eating away at its stone-like scales. But it didn’t even react. The Primordial Demon didn’t flinch. It just stared at me with hatred in its eyes as I escaped.

And I wondered what my dad did to piss off a Level 205 Primordial Demon.

I… probably didn’t even want to know.

—--

It took me a while before I even slowed down. I continued flying with [Divine Haste]. While I had activated the Skill long ago, I could now activate and deactivate the active effects of the Skill at will. Meaning, I could pretty much use the Skill without a cooldown as long as I didn’t expend the entire duration of the Skill all at once.

Although— I used up the entirety of [Divine Haste] this time around. Because I was terrified. That [Basilisk] had nearly killed me even when it was imprisoned. It was a Primordial Demon— it was nearly 50 levels above me. Even if I used my [Divine Essenc of the Angelid Devil Princess]... I wouldn’t have been able to win.

I could only run. And I was going to run until I was certain I was safe.

I collapsed on the ground, sighing.

“That was close…”

I looked up, seeing the various forks in the tunnel system, leading down different paths. Some of them were buried behind rubble, while the others continued further down. Some of these corridors even went back up. I just stared at it all before sahking my head.

“First a Primeval Demon, now a Primordial Demon… I wonder what else my kingdom holds for me.”

I leapt back to my feet and flexed an arm.

“Well, I guess I can only find out by investigating, right?”

And I continued down a different path.