534. Final Protector

“Do you wish to see the Gate of the Netherworld?”

Belphegor towered over me as I backed up warily. He was dangerous. Sure, he was a bit eccentric and slow. But he was also incredibly high-leveled. With his sheer strength alone, he had somehow broken through my aura of invulnerability from my Grand Skill and nearly crushed my arm.

He hadn’t drawn from his overwhelming essence— it wasn’t like when I had been fighting Avaritia, and his Grand Skill gave him the power of the Demon King. This was completely different. It would be like if I had the Breastplate of Alexander’s aura of protection, and Belphegor simply punched a hole through the Mythical Grade artifact.

I stared at him. He had to have been a Primordial Demon at the very least. He just tilted his head at me, a curious expression on his face. The brief flash of anger from earlier because I touched him was gone. Like it hadn’t even been there. Instead, he drew closer, waiting for a response from me.

I chewed my lower lip.

“Um, sure? But I’ve never heard of a… Gate of the Netherworld before. Is this, like, how you get to the Mortal Realm?”

“To the Mortal…?”

Belphegor blinked a few times as he drew back. He stroked his beard in thought, and I waved a hand dismissively.

“Nevermind! Show me this Gate of the Netherworld! We can walk and talk!”

I exclaimed as I hurried ahead of him. Belphegor just stared at me, before nodding. He strode towards me sluggishly— his movements as exaggeratedly slow as ever.

“Of course. We can walk and talk. Of course, I am sure that’s fine.”

I pursed my lips, watching his slow ascent. We weren’t even halfway back up out of the tunnel leading to the Lair of the [Gargoyles], and my Grand Skill was already coming to an end. I just groaned, waiting for Belphegor. In the meantime, I started to distribute my Skill Points and Stat Points from my most recent level ups.

[My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] was maxed now. It was why I could cast it immediately after I had expended a Grand Skill Point on it unlike before. I also maxed out [Draconic Fury]. And that was pretty much it.

Salvos (Secely’s Sentinel) (The Devil’s Daughter)

Species: [Primeval Demon of Pride]

Secondary Species: [Lesser God]

Subspecies: [Angelic Devil Princess] - Lvl. 160

Class: [Draconic Apprentice] - Lvl. 128

General Skills:

[Advanced Mana Manipulation] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Corruption Resistance] - Lvl. 1

[Identification] - Lvl. 6

[Racial Skill: True Divinity] - Lvl. 1 (Maxed)

[Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension] - Lvl. 2

[Rest] - Lvl. 5

[Wisdom of the Old Gods] - Lvl. 5

[Title Skill: General Status Effect Resistance] - Lvl. 1

[Ttle Skill: Invoke Wrath] - Lvl. 2

[Title Skill: Protection of the Sentinel] - Lvl. 1

[Title Skill: The Devil’s Grace] - Lvl. 1

[Racial Skill: Divine Essence of the Angelic Devil Princess] - Lvl. 1 (Maxed)

Stats:

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Vitality]: 255 (+30) (+10)

[Strength]: 255 (+30) (+10)

[Endurance]: 255 (+30) (+10) (+3)

[Wisdom]: 405 (+30) (+10) (+50)

[Agility]: 445 (+30) (+10) (+5)

Skills:

[Available Skill Points: 6]

[Angel’s Wings] - Lvl. 11

[Barrage of Cinders] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Divine Demon’s Mark] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Divine Haste] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Intimidation] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Faux Limbs] - Lvl. 25 (Maxed)

[Divine Nebular Construct] - Lvl. 25 (Maxed)

[Divine Strike] - Lvl. 5

[Divine Radiant Slash] - Lvl. 15 (Maxed)

[Sacred Hellfire] - Lvl. 10

[Salvo of Vanity] - Lvl. 25 (Maxed)

[The Call of Armageddon] - Lvl. 10

[The Holy Flames] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Passive - Angelic Premonition] - Lvl. 10

[Passive - Weapon Mastery] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Available Grand Skill Points: 0]

[My Flame Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] - Lvl. 3 (Maxed)

[Unused Skill Slot] x3

Secondary Skills:

[Available Secondary Skill Points: 1]

[Draconic Fury] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Fragmented Pocket Dimension] - Lvl. 10

[Full Phase] - Lvl. 10

[Greater Teleportation] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Manifestation of the Old Gods] - Lvl. 5

[Truth Divination] - Lvl. 5

[Warped Time] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Passive - Dragon Scales] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Passive - Master of Material Manipulation] - Lvl. 5

[Passive - Weaker Regeneration] - Lvl.5

—--

It took practically two hours, but we finally emerged from this stray tunnel leading away from the rest of the network of corridors in this Dungeon. Belphegor walked at a glacial pace, but I managed to get him to speak as he continued leading me towards this so-called ‘Gate of the Netherworld’.

Unfortunately, he was quite prone to rambling and going on tangents, so it was utterly pointless anyway.

“Ah, yes. It was so odd. Back then, we’d cross to the Mortal Realm… we’d also visit the Spirit Plane. It was very serene there. I had a friend. A Spirit friend. He— no, she? She was a Fairy? I think she was a Fairy. She was definitely a Fairy…”

Belphegor continued muttering to himself as I gave him a flat stare.

“Right. But that wasn’t my question. I was asking why would you even go to the Mortal Realm?”

It was a simple question. Completely unrelated to the Spirit Plane. As far as I knew, Regnorex was only interested in crossing the planes to eventually bring all of Demonkind away from the Netherworld. But my dad wouldn’t be interested in such a thing… right?

I shook my head, dismissing the thought as I focused only on Belphegor. He was blinking as he stepped into the circular chamber. His feet slapped against the brick floor with a thud, and he raised his head.

“The Mortal Realm? Why would I go to the Mortal Realm? I haven’t been there in… a long time. Yes, it has been so long.”

“Ugh— nevermind about that.”

I waved a hand off. It was not going to be easy to get information out of him. He just cocked his head at me, and I gestured at the various tunnels leading away from this room.

“So where’s this Gate of the Netherworld?”

“Yes, of course, if you will follow me—”

Belphegor started forward, trailing across the room as I followed. It took him what felt like ten minutes just to make it to the other side of this chamber. I watched as he came to a halt right before a collapsed tunnel. He paused, in a daze.

“Wait, this is…”

I smacked my forehead. Is he lost?! Belphegor scratched his beard, before his eyes swept over the room.

“Right, I forgot. Yes, I forgot. It has been a long time, hasn’t it? I have been here for a long time. Too long. Too, too long. But why…?”

And for a moment, his empty eyes glazed over. He stared blankly at the room, and I waved a hand in front of his face.

“Um, hello?”

Belphegor jerked back. It was a sudden movement. It took me completely off-guard. His eyes grew wide as he glanced about the room, and I backed up warily.

“Wait—”

But he barely even paid me any mind. Instead, the Demon marched past me as he muttered under his breath.

“The Gate of the Netherworld. I need to guard the gate. What am I even doing up here at the surface?”

He walked with renewed vigor. Vitality that he didn’t have just moments before. Belphegor shook his head as he started down a tunnel. It was a tunnel I had crossed out. I even marked the side wall with my claws to clearly indicate this wasn’t a path I wanted to follow.

But he continued down as he spoke to himself.

“I can’t waste time here. There is nothing for me at the surface. I have a duty to uphold.”

“Surface? But this isn’t the surface!”

I called out after him, hesitating as I waited right by the entrance to the tunnel. Belphegor didn’t even glance back, but he replied simply.

“Oh, but this is the surface. These ruins… the remains of this kingdom… they are but the shallow memories of what once was. All that awaits me is the buried depths that the world has forgotten.”

“What…?”

I blinked a few times, but Belphegor was already disappearing ahead of me. I hesitated, then curiosity got the better of me. I followed after him, venturing back down the tunnel that led me to the [Basilisk].

It was risky. It was incredibly stupid of me. I didn’t have my Grand Skill now. If I was caught by the [Basilisk]’s petrification, I was dead. I just had to make sure I didn’t anger it— while being ready to teleport out of there as soon as possible. I knew the risk, but I still pressed on. After all, Belphegor was finally talking.

“What are you talking about? What depths? What’s buried? What has been forgotten?”

“It was foolish of us.”

Belphegor spoke in a hushed voice. And yet, his words echoed all around me, bouncing off the walls of the tunnel.

“We had thought that if we reached the edge of the world, we would be able to follow after them.”

“Follow after who?”

I pressed Belphegor. I tried to run up to his side, but he always seemed to be a single step ahead of me. He turned a corner, his figure vanishing for a brief moment as he whispered.

“The Worldwalkers.”

I paused for a moment, remembering the mural I had seen. I opened my mouth, then I gave chase to Belphegor once more. He was briskly walking ahead, descending the steep tunnel without even slowing for a moment. We were going to reach the [Basilisk] soon. I gulped, then spread my [Angelic Wings] wide as I flew down to him.

“We had thought to escape it. I believed it was the only valid course of action. Even the Dragons in the Mortal Realm agreed with our plan.”

He continued, eyes facing forward. My mind reeled.

“Wait, Dragons? You knew Dragons?”

Belphegor sighed as lowered his head.

“We were fools. All we did was expedite it. It only grew worse.”

“Um, what are you talking about? So you served here in this… kingdom?”

I asked, explicitly omitting my dad’s name. I learned my lesson after mentioning him to the [Basilisk]. And while Belphegor wasn’t a wild Demon, he seemed like he could snap at any moment if I wasn’t careful with my words or actions.

“I did.”

Belphegor paused. I nearly bumped into him. But I caught myself. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

“And I will forevermore. Not out of choice, but because I am a but a slave, toiling away for all of eternity.”

He glanced back towards me, holding my gaze. I saw a timelessness in his eyes. And he gave me a crooked smile.

“This is my damnation.”

With that, he drew forward once again. His eyes flickered as he spoke softly to himself.

“And I abandoned my station. What a fool, am I? I sense it. They are dying. My creation. They cannot hold it back for long. At any point in time, they can break through. That is why I cannot make a lapse in judgment. Not for the sake of the Netherworld.”

“For the sake of the Netherworld?”

I asked, but Belphegor didn’t respond. He simply walked on, eventually reaching the same chamber I had escaped just earlier. He stepped onto the mossy ground as I bit my lower lip. I took in a deep breath to steel myself before hopping down after him.

Now Entering [Lair: Prison of the Basilisk]

I was prepared to meet the angry gaze of the [Basilisk] down there. I even heard a soft hissing. The thrashing tail of the wild Primordial Demon. I braced myself— and paused.

“What is it looking at?”

I stared at the [Basilisk]. It was staring further beyond the chamber. Down an archway that led into a corridor that descended even further. Belphegor nodded at the wild Primordial Demon as he started around the peripheries of the room.

“The Frenzied Basilisk.”

He spoke as I followed behind him. The [Basilisk] didn’t even glance his way. Its gaze was focused only on the tunnel.

“The Final Protector of the Netherworld.”

“Final… protector?”

I frowned. And Belphegor came to a halt right next to the [Basilisk]. He waited right outside of its prison, but I stayed a few dozen feet back. The two Primordial Demons braced themselves as Belphegor straightened his back.

“It’s coming. Ready yourself.”

The [Basilisk] just screeched, and I readied a [Greater Teleportation]. I wasn’t sure if I should have been here. But I stayed anyway. Just to see what was coming. And I heard it. A soft groaning, at first. Then it was accompanied by a low chittering— like the chirping of millions of enraged birds.

Something was coming. I could sense its presence, even from where I stood. It approached as an uneasy sensation crept over me. [Angelic Premonition] told me to run. But I stood my ground. I produced my Divine Nebular Scythe and waited with bated breath as my gaze remained fixed on the archway.

And the [Basilisk] opened its maw as Belphegor screamed. I blinked, unsure of what was going on. But moments later, a blurred figure shot out of the tunnel. A discolored thing. It was large— about the size of a small house.

I tried to focus my gaze on it, even as it flew up into the air. But I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make out its figure. I just saw a splash of iridescent light. An aura of obfuscation that hid its true form. It confused me for a brief moment, until I finally realized what I was staring at.

[-̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ Netherstone - Lvl. -̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ ]

“Huh.”

I stared at the corrupted piece of the world. It came from down below— from the deepest depths of the Netherworld. And it lashed down at the two Primordial Demons with a pair of tendrils.