Becoming the Dark Lord

Luke moved carefully through the area, eyes sharp, tracking every detail around him. The space felt too still, as if the dimension itself were watching his movements. Even so, he needed to test his limits while he was here.

“I’m going to try placing a portal.”

He raised his right hand, focus narrowing to his palm as magic responded to his will.

[Teleportation Circle 2 activated]

A bluish glow flared instantly, arcane symbols forming in the air before stabilizing above his hand. That circle was linked to another location, one he had anchored outside the dimension before entering.

Luke pointed toward the ground in front of him.

The circle expanded, forming cleanly on the forest floor.

“If this works, I’ve got a way out of this place.”

He stepped forward onto the circle and took a deep breath. Magical energy gathered around his body as he concentrated on the final activation.

[Teleportation Pentagram activated]

The magic discharged. Nothing happened. Luke remained exactly where he was. Angie watched in silence for a moment before speaking, her gaze fixed on the surroundings, alert for any reaction.

“The dimensional barrier is interfering with your skill, it seems. After all, this is essentially another universe.”

Luke let out a soft laugh, more reflex than amusement.

“Yeah. A lot farther than the distance between Maine and the New World.”

With a casual gesture, he dispelled the circle, the blue light fading away, then activated the spell again.

[Teleportation Circle 1 activated]

This time, he aimed his hand at a point only a few meters away.

[Teleportation Circle 2 activated]

Both circles stabilized. Luke stepped forward without hesitation, planting his foot into one of them.

[Teleportation Pentagram activated]

Space warped around him, and in the next instant, he emerged from the second circle.

“Alright. Teleportation rules still apply inside the dimension,” he said, dismissing both circles immediately after. “That’s something, at least.”

***

The scenery shifted as they pressed on.

They now stood in a vast green field, low vegetation stretching as far as the eye could see. Scattered throughout the area, four-legged creatures moved restlessly. Their bodies vaguely resembled dogs, but the similarity ended there.

They had no fur. Their faces were twisted and monstrous, filled with uneven fangs, horns, or jagged spikes jutting from their bodies. Some had gray skin, others a deep, violent red.

Charlie already had her sword in hand.

Without waiting for orders, she lunged at the nearest creature. The strike was clean, fast, and precise, her blade cutting through it with ease.

[Charlotte Vespertilio has slain a Twilight Demonic Beast - Lvl 67]

More creatures reacted immediately, surging toward them. Charlie launched herself forward again, weaving between enemies with ruthless efficiency, cutting them down one after another.

Angie remained at the center, holding position.

Luke let Charlie handle the fight. The creatures kept coming. Some emerged from the surrounding forest. Others burst from the ground itself, tearing free from holes that split the earth.

[Charlotte Vespertilio has slain a Twilight Demonic Beast - Lvl 67]

[Charlotte Vespertilio has slain a Twilight Demonic Beast - Lvl 66]

[Charlotte Vespertilio has slain a Twilight Demonic Beast - Lvl 67]

Charlie kept attacking without slowing until a new notification appeared before them.

**The [Blood Death Knight] class of Princess Charlie has reached Level 61! (+18 STR, +10 INT, +8 END, +8 VIT, +4 AGI, +2 PER, +10 Free Points)**

Luke moved in to help finish off the remaining creatures still resisting. As he fought, the difference between their weapons became clear. Charlie’s sword was far more efficient in sustained combat than his kukris, even though his strikes were deadlier when they landed on vital points.

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Even so, Charlie had a much greater overall impact. She spun through the enemies without pause, striking relentlessly and using the power of the Mark of Doom to widen her advantage with every movement.

When the last creature fell, Luke stopped and looked toward the horizon. Ahead of them stretched an immense forest of dark trees, dense and seemingly endless. In the opposite direction, jagged mountains rose sharply, carving into the motionless sky of that dimension.

He tried to grasp the scale of the place, and the conclusion was unmistakable. It was massive.

Whatever Azazel wants me to find, the clue is right here.

The notification appeared in Luke’s field of vision with absolute clarity, as if space itself had chosen to speak.

Dimensional Rift: Temple of the Demon Blacksmith

Ages ago, a blacksmith from the Spectral Demon tribe reached the pinnacle of his craft within his clan. Before vanishing, he left behind four weapons forged by his own hands, scattered throughout this dimension as minor treasures. Each one serves as a key leading toward the hidden temple where his masterpiece rests.

But only one deemed worthy may open the temple. To inherit his legacy, one must answer the riddle the master smith left behind:

“Among the four weapons I created… which one holds my true treasure?”

Treasures Found: 3/4

Luke read the notification carefully, absorbing every detail. The weight of the information was not just in the words, but in what they implied. Three weapons had already been found. Somewhere in that vast dimension, a fourth one existed, still unclaimed.

“That mercenary mentioned something about a treasure, didn’t she, my lord?” Angie asked, breaking the silence.

“She did. She said one of the reasons the military banned entry to this place was because they had discovered the location of a treasure. Now it makes sense.”

Luke shifted his gaze back to the open terrain ahead, his thoughts racing. If three weapons were already in someone’s possession, that meant competition, even if he could not see it.

Somewhere in that dimension, there was a fourth treasure.

He would have to find it.

Things could get complicated. If opening the temple truly required gathering all four weapons, then this would become a much bigger problem than simply exploring the area.

And if I really need to collect all four treasures? How am I supposed to know who took them… and where they are?

***

“Master Luke, I saw something in that direction.”

Charlie pointed into the distance, indicating a spot barely visible on the horizon. It had been a full day since they entered the dimension. Charlie wasn’t affected by sunlight at all. The vampirism that would normally weaken her simply didn’t react to this place, which meant the sun in the sky was fake.

Angie held her spear firmly. During their advance, they had run into several weaker creatures. Angie had faced them alone, and the results were obvious. Thanks to that, she had reached level 10 in her class and, from the options presented, chosen a new skill.

[Weak Wrath (Uncommon)]: The Valkyrie channels the dormant fury within herself, allowing rage to surge through her body like a wild flame. During this brief state of controlled wrath, her strength and speed increase temporarily, making her strikes heavier and her movements faster.

Luke studied the description for a few seconds before lifting his gaze again.

As they moved toward the direction Charlie had indicated, a structure began to emerge from the landscape. In the distance, a long staircase rose from the ground, leading up to an elevated entrance.

The construction resembled a Japanese gate, similar to those found at Buddhist temples. Dark wood stood in stark contrast to the surroundings, and the structure felt out of place, as if it didn’t belong to this world at all.

“Did we really find it this fast?” Charlie asked.

“That would take an absurd amount of luck,” Luke replied as they started climbing the steps.

As he ascended, Luke mentally revisited the clues hidden within the rift’s notification. The conclusion was obvious. Somewhere in this dimension, there was a hidden temple, and access to it was only possible for someone who possessed one of the four weapons.

But the riddle remained. Which of the four weapons was the right one? Which would lead to the true treasure? He didn’t have that answer yet. For now, his focus was unchanged: find the weapon that hadn’t been claimed. When they reached the top of the staircase, something immediately caught Luke’s attention. A red creature with curved horns stood there.

“A demon?”

Its eyes were closed, as if resting. Sensing their presence, it slowly opened them and fixed its gaze on the group below. Its face resembled that of a boar, with tusks jutting outward from its mouth.

The demon raised one arm and pulled something from inside its sleeve, something far too large to have fit there.

A drum.

With the other hand, holding a stick-like tool, it struck the instrument. The sound echoed through the air. Then it struck it again.

“It’s warning them we’re here,” Luke said, already drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.

Before he could act, laughter rippled through the surrounding forest.

“Outer beings,” one voice said.

“Yes, outer beings. They know nothing,” another replied.

The voices moved, appearing first on one side, then another, circling through the trees.

“Angie, stay close,” Luke ordered.

“Oh yes, creatures who fell into this cage. So small. Beings who don’t even know where they are.”

“Oh, I agree. They know nothing. They don’t know what this place is. They don’t know what happens there,” another voice chimed in.

Luke released the arrow.

It tore through the air toward the demon at the top of the stairs. The creature managed to dodge, but the arrow detonated when it struck the ground, releasing a cloud of acid.

The demon screamed.

At the same instant, Luke and Charlie charged forward. Around Luke, throwing knives lifted into the air, suspended by the power of [Weak Telekinesis]. Angie spread her wings and took flight. ℯℯ𝘭.

From the forest, three creatures emerged almost simultaneously. Demons. They wore only simple trousers. One had a single eye. All of them were red, with horns, sharp teeth, and boar-like tusks.

“Oh, they don’t know. The hammer strikes, the hammer sharpens. Lava can only be worked in one place.”

“Yes. Always in that place. The place where not even her light can reach.”