Chương 203: A Demonic Dialogue

The cave where the cursed longblade was going to be kept was deep, very deep. Leaving it behind was a huge risk. I wasn't about to make a shallow hole and I needed space for the runic circle I wanted to make about the metal coffin. Ozy was getting put to work, digging out a narrow tunnel, that I would have to crawl through and then a much larger cave behind that. I had attached a rope to my armor and used it as a sled to pull out the rock he was shifting.

It would get piled up outside the igloo that was around the entrance. That kept out the worst of the cold and the wind. Lanner kept reading one of my books, which I didn't mind. His cooking was terrible and this tunneling effort was more about strength. Unlike the tunneling effort to get into the tomb, precision wasn't required here. That was why in just a day the tunnel was done and a part of the cavern I would be hiding the blade inside. The second day had seen the cavern finished and the placement of the runes.

Now on the third day the runes were finished and I put in 16, 807 orange Mana cores into the cavern. They would be drained very slowly over a very long period of time. The runic circle was large, but it wasn't overly complex. Its main job was to take the ambient Mana and disperse it over a very wide area, that would be slightly offset. Even if someone sensed something or used divination, they would have to dig through several mountains to find the cursed blade. At least that was my hope.

The outside of the tunnel had been sealed back up and we would be leaving tomorrow morning back to the dungeon. I felt a sense of relief that the cursed blade was finally hidden away, and I didn't have to carry it everywhere. While my protections were crude I had confidence in their effectiveness and the work I had put into them. If I didn't have a divination type skill, I might have overlooked some aspect, but thankfully I had chosen it. Otherwise, the cursed blade would have been easily found.

As for someone or something camping out here to wait for my return, I wished them the best. This was the End of the World near the White Wastes. The only thing out here was the cold, snow, and rocks. Besides that there was absolutely nothing of interest. A demon staying here would probably get bored to death. They might have the patience to dig up everywhere, but the cursed blade was hidden deeply enough and the tunnel filled up enough that no one would know where it was located.

I had even carried Lanner out here and blindfolded him. He had protested a little bit, but thankfully he wanted to get out of the cold more than the embarrassment of being carried. At best he could say the cursed blade was in this area, but if someone used a divination skill they would get the same result. I had tested that with my Compass of Desire and it let me know I was in the right area by spinning around in confusion, unable to pinpoint the direction of the blade. At least I could focus on this location.

I also ensured we didn't leave any trash behind or traces. Once we left, I would double check to make sure there was nothing left behind. After a day, the residual Mana from skill use would be gone. Again, it wasn't perfect, but it was the best that I could accomplish on my own. The following morning, I checked to make sure there was nothing left behind and Ozy made the area look natural with the rest of the mountain.

"Hurry up, I am freezing," the blindfolded Lanner said. Ozy flew over and landed on my shoulders as I picked Lanner up and started running. Ozy was too big to hide under my clothing unfortunately. He was at an awkward size, in my opinion at least. He needed to get bigger so he could carry me. After half a day we entered the White Wastes and my Danger Sense began to increase. I didn't see any threats, but it kept increasing as we made our way towards the dungeon entrance. I hadn't taken a straight path back either.

I didn't think there would be an ambush, but that appeared to be the case. Whatever was waiting for us was probably waiting for us at the dungeon entrance.

"Take off the blindfold. There is probably an ambush at the dungeon entrance, get ready," I told Lanner, who pulled it off. As we got closer, I could see a figure dressed in armor, with a large metal sword in hand. The equipment was shabby, but the individual was strong. As strong as a legend. Like the demon I had faced before. I set Lanner down and freed my sword. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Stay near my side. Don't run off," I told Lanner quietly.

"If you do, I won't be able to protect you. Watch your wand fire." The figure clearly saw us. There was nowhere to hide on the White Wastes. I let out a heavy breath. The best place to run from this demon was in the dungeon. It was no beastkin, with his human looking face. No pointed ears, but they could have been hidden under the helmet. Just as I began to gather Mana and focus to draw an aerial runic circle, the demon spoke up.

"Peace," the demon called out as we got into mid distance spell skill range. The dungeon entrance was behind the demon.

"Peace, from a demon?" I asked back. I didn't feel Social Resistance triggering, so it wasn't trying to mentally manipulate me. I scanned the surroundings.

"It is just me out here," the demon said.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"That source of Mana, do you know what it is?" he asked.

"Perhaps, but I will not tell you," I replied. The demon frowned at that. While I didn't want to fight, I was ready for a fight.

"You are the one who hurt Lazarus," he said. I wasn't sure if that was a question. But I had a guess who he was referring to.

"The other demon?" I asked.

"Yes. Is he dead?"

"I killed him in the dungeon," I replied while mentally preparing for a fight.

"A shame. But he was a brute at the best of times. I hold no animosity regarding his death."

"Then let us pass in peace and leave us alone," I declared.

"Do you have a way to transverse the depths…forgive me, the dungeon?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I wish to leave this continent. If you take me with you through the dungeon, then I will have no quarrel with you," the demon said.

"And if I don't?" I asked.

"I will kill you, here and now," he replied.

"The other demon thought he could beat me as well. And I have only gotten stronger," I replied. The demon squinted his eyes at me but didn't make a hostile move. He just continued to stand there.

"True. I feel like I could kill you, but it is clear you have some unexpected skills. I would promise to let you live if you can take me away from this continent," he said.

"Trust the word of a demon?" I shook my head at that rhetorical question.

"To travel with someone in the dungeon, requires trust. There is no trust between us. Have you heard the story of the scorpion and the frog?" I asked.

"No, I have not. What is this story and what are these things?"

"A scorpion is a small insect with a tail full of venom and claws like blades. A frog is an animal that enjoys water and eating smaller bugs. A scorpion came to a river and wanted to cross. He found a frog and asked for its help to cross. The frog told the scorpion it would string him and then they would both die. The scorpion from drowning and the frog from poison. The scorpion promised that he wouldn't sting the frog, since that was foolish and they would both die. The frog thought about it and agreed."

The demon was listening to this story. One I had been told as a child.

"So, the scorpion got on the back of the frog who began to swim across a river. Then the scorpion stung the frog. As the frog began to sink in the river, dying, he asked the scorpion why, since now they would both die. The scorpion told the frog he couldn't resist, it was in his nature," I replied.

"I am this scorpion," the demon said.

"The story fits perfectly. While I am sure you have lots of interesting knowledge as a demon and unique insights, you would kill me without hesitation. You might look human, but you don't share our values. You are a monster from the dungeon," I declared.

"Regrettable, but also understandable. Then we must fight. If I win, you can reclaim your life by taking me away from this frozen continent," the demon said.

"And you expect the same mercy?" I asked.

"No. But I am stronger. You cannot defeat me. Even with your companions."

"You might think so demon."

"Is it still custom to give one's name before such a fight?" the demon asked.

"Yes. Do you even have a name?" I challenged.

"I am Demon Mandaeism," the demon said.

"Human Justin Burnstock with companions Lanner and Ozymandius," I answered back. The demon nodded and raised his large blade. Lanner readied a wand and Ozy flew up into the cold air. I didn't hesitate any longer. The time for speaking was over. I began drawing runes with my blade, quickly and efficiently. The demon didn't rush forward like I had been expecting. It glanced at Ozy and Lanner, but continued to stare at me. After forming the runic circle, I advanced while keeping it floating in front of me.

The demon glanced back at the dungeon entrance and then back at me as we advanced. It was clearly trying to figure out what to do, since it was unsure about the runic circle. If the demon moved away from its position, it was risking that we would escape into the dungeon. If it stayed in place or attacked, it risked dealing with the unknown of the runic circle I had made. I wasn't about to use up the runic circle without ensuring the demon got close. If it wanted to stand there as I advanced, it was welcome to.

Once I got close enough it would be killed. The demon swung up a hand." Cold Beam."

"Ward." I countered the spell skill as a blast of cold air spread out. I swung my blade to the side along with the runic circle so it wasn't disrupted. The demon rushed forward. Fast, but I could still react in time." Cold Beam."

"Ward." It repeated the same move as it closed the distance. I brought my sword back around while triggering the runic circle. I stepped to the side, so my Ward spell skill intercepted the cold beam targeted at the runic circle. The demon wasn't an idiot, but it clearly didn't understand modern methods of combat. A torrent of flame was unleashed towards the demon as the space around it solidified and ice shot up to grab its feet. Ozy handled his role perfectly in the combination attack." Ward! Ward!"

The demon was trying to counter the attacks, but I knew it would be struggling. I had gotten quite good at flame attacks using a runic circle over the last year. Having to use it quite a bit to fight monsters in the tunnels between caverns.