novelThe Heart of the Dungeon #4
| ← Ch.015 | Ch.017 → |
It was a very fancy altar. It was dark so it was difficult to see, but the fire revealed different patterns that were carved on the exterior of the altar.
And in the center of that altar, there was a lance.
It was red. The head of the lance was gold.
Yong-Ho started walking as if he was possessed. Catalina was surprised by his movement that she yelled.
"Master!"
"Got it."
Yong-Ho grabbed the lance without hesitation. And he pulled it out.
Catalina held her breath. If arrows started shooting out of the walls, she was planning on throwing her body to protect him. If the fire enveloped Yong-Ho, she planned on doing the same by throwing her body and shielding him. If nothing worked out, she was ready to die with him.
However, nothing happened. After pulling out the lance, Yong-Ho realized what he had done and was shocked moments later, but luckily, he didn't throw the spear that was in his hand.
And there was silence.
Yong-Ho kept on looking back and forth between the lance and the altar because nothing was happening, and then looked at Catalina with a subtle expression.
Catalina started yelling loudly.
"Mammon's Spirit!"
Yong-Ho almost lost his grip on the spear because of her. While Catalina was catching her breath, Yong-Ho started observing the lance.
"Spi... rit? It's a lance."
"I-it's not. The head and the shaft is giving off a scarlet color... I'm sure this is Aamon, the Red Lotus Demon Lance."
Catalina moved closer to Yong-Ho. With a nervous expression, she observed the red lance while talking.
"The Red Lotus Demon Spear was the weapon that Mammon used when he was alive. The lance itself is part of a demon family... a very high-ranked demon."
Catalina was serious. Yong-Ho looked at the lance again.
"So, their lance form is part of a demon family?"
"Yes. A-and..."
"And?"
"There's a legend."
Catalina stopped talking from there. She kept her eyes on Aamon while continuing to talk.
"If anyone other than Mammon touches it, they'll experience the wrath of hell... Master!"
It happened before Catalina finished talking. A flame that was released from the tip of the head enveloped Yong-Ho.
Yong-Ho couldn't even scream. There were flames everywhere. It felt like the flame not only enveloped Yong-Ho, but the entire world.
He struggled. He fell to the ground and started rolling around. Couple of seconds later. Yong-Ho realized something.
It wasn't hot. The flame enveloped his body, but it didn't hurt.
Yong-Ho stopped struggling and looked around. Inside of the flame, Yong-Ho's arms and legs were all intact and haven't been damaged.
What was going on? He wondered how Catalina was doing because the flame filled the entire place.
Yong-Ho quickly turned his head. But he couldn't find Catalina. His body froze up due to the pressure.
Right behind him. The one that was watching him.
It was a large eye. The large eye was on fire. The thing was in the center of the fiery pit and was looking down at Yong-Ho.
"How are you not being burned?"
In his head, he heard the voice of an adult male. It was deep and overpowering that it felt like it would oppress the entire world.
The eye approached Yong-Ho. Yong-Ho still couldn't move. After coughing, he looked straight into the eye. The eye observed Yong-Ho. It felt like the eye was inspecting every inch of Yong-Ho's body.
A large lump of mana.
Yong-Ho sensed it. That eye was Aamon, the Red Lotus Demon Lance. It's possible that this entire space was built by Aamon.
Aamon watched Yong-Ho. And then it laughed. It was impossible for an eye to laugh, but that's what Yong-Ho felt. The sound of a man's laughter filled his head.
"Really? Is that so? You have the power of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Finally, finally, there's someone that has inherited Greed's power!"
They were happy. They were extremely excited. At the same time, they displayed a totally opposite emotion.
"But you're still a baby. It seems like I've run out of patience due to being asleep for so long."
The sound of the man's laughter died down. The eye moved closer to Yong-Ho. Yong-Ho's eyes were filled with the red eye.
Yong-Ho breathed out. He tried to speak as he breathed out. Aamon laughed again. It was a laugh that was different from the previous one. And he wasn't ridiculing Yong-Ho.
"I'll adjust to your level for now, you baby."
The eye changed into a flame. It enveloped Yong-Ho again. He burned with the world.
"Master!"
"Ack!"
Yong-Ho coughed. At the same time, he opened his eyes and looked at Catalina that was approaching him. Instinctively, he pulled himself back. He was still burning. The Red Lotus's flames bloomed out of Yong-Ho's body.
"Master!"
Catalina yelled again. Yong-Ho extended his hand out and stopped her. And then he catched his breath. The flame started dying out. The flame that rose out of his body disappeared all at once.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Sweat started rolling down his back. After seeing Catalina standing in the same spot with a nervous expression, he turned his attention to something else. He looked at the lance that was in his right hand.
'It changed. '
The scarlet-colored lance changed into a gold lance. The color also changed and the length shortened.
Yong-Ho's eyes turned into an emerald green color. He inspected the lance using the Power of Evolution.
[Name: Aamon]
[Race:???]
[Specialty: Fire /???]
[Development Rate: 0/100]
[???# ★★★★★★ (6)]
[???# ★★★★★★ (6)]
[???# ★★★★★☆ (5. 5)]
There were so many question marks so he couldn't really see much but, there was one thing he was sure of.
The spirit, Aamon, was in lance form. Mammon, who was one of the Seven Deadly Sins and controlled 1/4th of the demon world, favored this lance.
"It shrank. So it matched to my current level?"
Yong-Ho quietly mumbled to himself when he was done using the skill. A bitter smile appeared without him knowing. A lot of different emotions were filled within him, but he couldn't express them.
"Mas... ter?"
After hearing her quietly calling out, Yong-Ho looked back at Catalina. She was past being nervous and was on the brink of crying her eyes out. After observing her for a moment, Yong-Ho spoke.
"You can come here now. And... like you said, I think it is Aamon. Although, I think he's asleep now."
When Yong-Ho gave her permission, Catalina was about to run to his side, but froze after hearing his last comment. With a shocked and excited expression, she looked at Aamon.
"Amazing! You're amazing master!"
It was extremely significant, but he had an idea why she was saying that. Because of that Yong-Ho chuckled and acted like he was measuring the weapon.
Even though it shortened, one of Mammon's Spirits trusted itself to Yong-Ho. And, if Yong-Ho became stronger, then it's possible for it to regain its original power. That's probably the reason why Aamon trusted himself to Yong-Ho in the first place.
'Then, was I having that feeling because of this lance?'
It was Greed's additional skill.
It was difficult to see it as having luck in wealth. He might be jumping to conclusions, but it's possible that Aamon was calling out to Yong-Ho.
'Anyways. '
He grabbed Aamon. It was now time to find a way out of this room.
Yong-Ho looked at Catalina again. And a frown appeared without him knowing.
"Oh, master. You're so awesome. To be able to wield Aamon. Oh my. You've overcome the wrath of hell."
It felt like he was looking at Eligor, not Catalina. She was moving her body in a way that resembled a drunk person and her eyes looked like tears would roll down at any moment.
"Catalina."
"You're really amazing. Praise our master. Praise the House of Mammon. Our master is the best."
It seemed like she was really touched. Yong-Ho called out her name again.
"Catalina."
As he called out her name louder, Catalina was surprised and she raised her head. Yong-Ho commanded Catalina.
"Act cool-headed."
Catalina panicked because of his order, but somehow succeeded in displaying a cold expression. Her eyes asked whether this was the face and Yong-Ho was satisfied by the fact that she calmed down. Yong-Ho spoke while looking at Aamon, who was about one meter tall.
"Great. Now, let's think of a way to get out of here."
As soon as Yong-Ho finished talking.
The ground, walls and the ceiling started shaking. Yong-Ho quickly lowered his body and his eyes met with Catalina's. The shaking didn't stop. Scraps started falling from the ceiling.
"Do you think it's because you pulled out Aamon?"
Catalina asked worriedly and Yong-Ho started looking around. The shaking was getting more violent. It felt like this room was going to fall apart soon.
Yong-Ho quickly placed Aamon back on top of the altar, but the shaking didn't stop. It was actually getting worse.
Yong-Ho lit the room using the flashlight. He noticed something that looked like an entrance, but it was completely sealed.
There wasn't time to think. Yong-Ho grabbed Catalina's wrist and ran towards the area they fell. Using the flashlight, he looked at the hole that him and Catalina fell in.
The fragments that were falling from the ceiling were getting bigger. The walls and the ground were going to break at any moment.
How were they going to get out? Will the method he thought of work?
He pulled Catalina using her arm and started yelling when she was close.
"Catalina! You trust me, right?"
"I trust you!"
Catalina answered right away. Despite of the dangerous situation, Catalina didn't have any doubts.
Yong-Ho smiled. After nodding his head, he placed Aamon on the ground. He placed both of his hands on top of Catalina's thighs. He used his power.
Catalina flinched for a moment. Green flames were rising out of Yong-Ho's eyes.
The Power of Evolution.
Yong-Ho's mana was entering Catalina's body.
&
As soon as the ceiling fell, the walls and ground fell apart. In that moment, Catalina ran on the surface of the wall. She was so quick, that it reminded him of a falcon that was soaring.
Yong-Ho, who was on Catalina's back, exhausted all of his mana, which caused his body to stretch out. After making a rope out of Yong-Ho's top, they used it to tie each other together.
Catalina grabbed Yong-Ho's legs and ran up the wall. She jumped diagonally towards the wall on the opposite side and continued running.
Specialized agility development.
Since she constantly sparred with the Treant, her development rate reached its limit, which made it possible to use this method.
It was a gamble. Carrying Yong-Ho while continuously running up a tall wall seemed impossible no matter how he looked at it.
But Yong-Ho bet his money on Catalina.
Catalina didn't stop. It looked like she was moving alongside a falcon. It was a movement she couldn't imagine before the development.
Gravity didn't stop her. She continued running. But, moments later.
Catalina let out a groan. She felt like her legs and ankle were going to break. Catalina endured it and continued running. She jumped again. This time, she didn't land on the opposite wall. She lacked the strength. There wasn't much left. She was almost there!
"Ahhhh!"
That's when Yong-Ho came in. He used whatever strength he had left and pierced Aamon into the wall.
It was for a moment. Despite of the fact that Yong-Ho's body became stronger during the past couple of days, piercing Aamon deep into the wall while being exhausted was too much work. But, it was enough.
Catalina moved again. She didn't let Yong-Ho's effort go to waste and placed her feet on the wall. With her remaining energy, she ran up the wall again.
The relationship between the owner and the spirit wasn't like master and servant. Yong-Ho pulled Aamon out right on time and it looked as if he read Catalina's mind.
"Ahhhh!"
Catalina screamed. She turned her body in midair and using her remaining energy, she ran up the opposite wall. She pushed her body into the air.
They rolled on the ground. Yong-Ho and Catalina both rolled on the ground and after bumping into the entrance of the secret passageway, they stopped. Yong-Ho was on top of Catalina again.
"Ha, ha."
"Ha, ha..."
Both of them didn't say a word and were trying to catch their breaths. And both of them started laughing.
They survived. They escaped. They escaped safely!
"Catalina."
Yong-Ho called out to Catalina and instead of groaning, she answered quietly.
Both of them were exhausted. They wanted to rest like this.
But, they couldn't. When Yong-Ho arrived on the first level, the Spirit of the Dungeon and Yong-Ho were connected again. The Spirit of the Dungeon was in a panicking state because the owner couldn't be reached, so they spoke loudly.
"The dungeon is under attack!"
Yong-Ho's eyes widened. They both stood up quickly.
~ The Heart of the Dungeon #4 ~ End.
| ← Ch. 015 | Ch. 017 → |