Chương 292: chapter 287

Jacob is already in the second Dungeon after retrieving a pair of dark boots clearly meant for a woman given the design. But, while he effortlessly dismantles a Mana-sucking Formation, he ponders what to do next. Mantle of the Abyss will shield him from anything as long as he's invulnerable. And he's going to stay invulnerable until he's one foot from me. That puts Jacob in an awkward position.

He knows that Astabazos is here to kill him, probably hoping to bank on the fact that, amidst such difficult traps, he's going to be distracted long enough to be killed. Well, at least that's what the Infernal Dark Champion hopes for. In reality, Jacob is convinced that, since his Grimoire evolved into the Primordial Grimoire, there's literally no trap within True Diamond and Early Imperium Rank that can even remotely bother him.

The Primordial Magic that he can now use at will thanks to the evolution is simply too much of a boost in these conditions. But this is far from a tough problem. Astabazos looks at Jacob mow through traps like a scythe through dry hay. He has to admit, the figure that Jacob cuts against this bluish Dungeon is quite impressive. Surrounded by the red energy of several Primordial Spells that shoot toward the keystones of the Formation in front of him, he resembles an avatar of destruction.

Before he can even realize it, Astabazos is admiring the Primordial spellcraft put on display by the Leader of Champions, his archnemesis. He's much, much better with Primordial Magic than what we had anticipated, Astabazos hears Delefagus's voice coming straight into his head. He's very dangerous, Astabazos. You should probably get out of there. If he keeps going like this, he's not going to break a sweat before he's done. Yet, Astabazos's pride stops him from doing so.

He clenches his claws so hard that they dig deep into his palm, shedding some invisible, invulnerable blood on the ground. He'll stumble sooner or later, Delefagus. And I'll be there. Delefagus doesn't say anything else and the line goes silent. Astabazos witnesses as Jacob clears yet another True Diamond Dungeon with several Early Imperium Rank traps in the blink of an eye and then they're out for the third Dungeon.

However, when Astabazos enters the third Dungeon — a castle-like formation of rocks into another dimension, with open-air traps all around them in what looks like an arena — his blood goes cold. Mantle of the Abyss invulnerability deactivates since Jacob has stayed right at the entrance of the Dungeon, meaning that Astabazos almost bumped into him. If it wasn't for the supernatural reflexes of the Infernal, he might have very well done so.

Yet, he has now lost the invulnerability and the moment he tries to step back and activate it again, he sees Jacob Cloud, for the first time, get hit by a trap. You damn idiot! Why now?! Astabazos reels as Jacob is hit by a massive black thunder and shouts in pain. Yet, having stumbled back himself, he doesn't have a chance to capitalize on such an opportunity.

And when he sees Jacob Cloud turn toward him, despite being still invisible because of his own very powerful stealth, something he acquired before his Rainbow Skill, he swears to high heaven. Why? Because he can't activate Mantle of the Abyss if he's in Jacob Cloud's sight. And while Jacob Cloud starts running, he's forced to do the same.

Around the arena, on a field of sand that's the color of blood, they're running in wide circles since several formations are shooting massive black bolts that range from Intermediate True Diamond Rank in power to Early Imperium Rank! But what really worries Astabazos is the fact that Jacob Cloud has an almost supernatural way to dodge them. HOW IS HE DOING THAT?! Astabazos says, as a bolt hits him.

His stealth is powerful enough that it is kept active, but both his pride and physical body are wounded by the Peak True Diamond Rank black bolt of lightning. And this goes on for several minutes while Jacob Cloud tries clumsily to activate Primordial Spells and fails since he has to narrowly dodge the black bolts. Yet, the same black bolts that he narrowly dodges seem to curve to hit Astabazos. Those must be some incredibly enchanted bolts made by Primordial Magic, Astabazos.

The Infernal Dark Champion hears his colleague, Delefagus, talk calmly in his mind. If I had to guess, it's a very powerful Imperium Rank Formation that's doing so. Cloud clearly has a way to dodge them… I don't know how, though. But the moment they miss him, they start looking for their next target… you. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Astabazos shouts mentally as yet another bolt singes his skin. Why are you describing this to me, you damn freak?!

Do you think I can't see this for myself?! What's this commentary for?! Go fucking die in a tub of venom! You sound very irritated for someone who was not forced by anyone to follow Jacob Cloud into these Dungeons. Right when a massive Imperium Rank black bolt almost cripples Astabazos, Jacob Cloud is finally able to defuse the Formation, which fizzles out, revealing, where its center had been, the next piece of the inheritance set. Why did it take so long, you goddamn human monkey?!

What were you doing, taking a damn vacation?! For Asmodeus's left hand, what is wrong with you?! Astabazos is on the ground, invisible, drinking greedily from potions and elixirs since he's taken so much damage. He did not manage once to get out of Jacob Cloud's line of sight. The arena, being so small, made it essentially impossible. Yet, he doesn't want to give up. Not now that he's seen Jacob bleed. He's convinced that in the next Dungeon, he'll have his chance.

And so, Astabazos, recreating his invulnerability, enters the fourth Dungeon with Jacob. Yet, once again, Jacob is right at the very entrance despite the fact that Astabazos waited for several minutes before entering. With the invulnerability gone once again, Astabazos starts sweating profusely. What the hell is this?! This time, they find themselves in a very narrow corridor that makes it impossible for Astabazos to even turn around. The portal behind them closes this time, not giving them the chance to retreat.

"Interesting," Jacob says out loud. What's interesting?! This is a death trap! Jacob had planned on using the same exact trick on Astabazos, but this time, his attention is actually focused on the Dungeon around him. This place is dangerous. The Grimoire has already highlighted one trap in front of him and he quickly dismantles it, summoning King Baalrek's sword and using it to carve into the wall, deactivating a mechanism that would have triggered just a few steps ahead.

Yet, despite the fact that Jacob is able to destroy all the traps on their path, he doesn't let his guard down for one moment. The Mana here is extremely thick. Something's happening. As with an old phantom reflex, he wishes he could speak to King Baalrek. Despite having inherited his Primordial Spells, there's something here that's clearly wrong. Yet, Jacob can't put his finger on it. The worst thing? In less than five minutes, he's at the end of the Dungeon, with the reward in his hands.

The very narrow passage opens into a rocky room. At its center, there's a well. Jacob looks down and sees an armor's chestpiece at the bottom. He looks at the rope that is tied to it, at the gears on the well, and then the mechanism that culminates in a wooden handle right in front of him. Warily, he starts reeling the piece in. He even uses the Primordial Grimoire on it before actually touching it, keeping it active at all times. An ominous feeling has gripped him since the very moment he entered the Dungeon.

Yet, there's nothing wrong. Nothing happens. Delefagus watches as Jacob and Astabazos enter the fifth Dungeon after that very weird narrow corridor.

"Why was that Dungeon so… stupid?" If the Dark Champion had been the one engineering something like that, he would have only done so if… Whoever made this, Jacob thinks, after the first three Dungeons on the map, which were clearly meant to be cleared in order, wanted Thalric and his sister to be able to clear these rooms fast. But why? It's as if their mother doesn't really need to test anymore.

And this hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that the fifth Dungeon is simply one room with a timed Formation at its center. Jacob destroys it in the blink of an eye. Jacob retrieves a helmet and, like with all other pieces, puts it in his Interspatial Ring. What the hell is happening? Of course, he could have guessed that this was going to be weird since it was something made by the Cult of Apocalypse. Yet, something about this trial makes Jacob's skin crawl. Why are the Dungeons getting easier instead of harder?

The first one, the one with so many rooms, was the hardest. Yet, the map that was given to Jacob by Harvald Ashenvale, which in turn was something that his banished wife left him, pointed out the exact order to follow. If I exclude that the mother wanted to play some tricks on her children and her husband… which I would have seen through with the Grimoire on this map… why would she do this? I would understand if all Dungeons were equally easy to go through and responded to the presence of two people.

But Lord Ashenvale clearly thought that I wouldn't be able to do this. And the Grimoire mentioned some Special Requirements. Why do Astabazos and I fulfill these requirements? Jacob is standing on top of a mountain. It took several hours to get here and the sun is starting to disappear in the distance. Below the mountain, there's Ashenmere. Behind him, it's the portal that leads to the last Dungeon that the Cult of Apocalypse made. Jacob has a terrible feeling in his gut.

His instinct is screaming at him that something is wrong. But even with his instinct screaming at him so loud, something tells him to enter the Dungeon. He takes a deep breath and mutters to himself, "here goes nothing." Jacob enters the portal of the Dungeon that is at the howling peak of the mountain, surrounded by snow and ice. Astabazos, freezing, curses at Jacob's hesitation and finally enters the place. Yet, the moment he does so, he's instantly assaulted by a terrifying aura.

He finds Jacob Cloud wielding his silvery sword, fully transformed with his Reverse Domain, and with his aura pouring in waves out of him. What the hell is he doing? Wasn't he trying to hide himself? But the moment that thought crosses Astabazos's mind, he turns to the center of this giant hall and sees… This is a tomb. There's a giant tomb right in the middle of the room and its lid is cracking.

A white hand with black veins all over it, reeking of Primordial Magic, and with an Early Imperium Rank aura, grabs the edge of the tomb from the inside.