The Devil’s Cage

Kieran who was in mid-air without any place to land suddenly jumped up higher by stepping on the air itself.

The fast stinging flames grazed the bottom of Kieran’s boots. Kieran then disappeared into the entrance of the secret room.

Then…

Wuuuu!

[Arrogant Word] was slashed down with a powerful roar as if it was a slamming mountain.

BANG!

Wooden pieces smashed in all directions together with fire sparks growing wild.

The blazing flames were suppressed down by the violent wind from the sword, shaking and flickering non-stop. Especially the flames at the blade edge; it was sliced in half, revealing the true face of the attacker.

It was the accumulation of fire in the form of a man.

The reason Kieran thought so was because it seemed like a man but without organs inside, yet having limbs and torso formed by fire.

The unusual enemy didn’t stop Kieran’s dark red greatsword from slashing down once more.

The human-formed fire was slashed in half without any sound, yet it was far from dead!

It was just the beginning!

It seemed like physical attacks were useless against the human-formed fire. As it was split in half, it fused into the flames around it.

Promptly, the flames in the secret room came alive like a beast, extending their claws and fangs towards Kieran, exerting their scorching heat and terrifying power.

The flames transformed into dozens of fiery swords, aiming their sharp edges at Kieran’s back, whose greatsword carved a palm-length crack on the floor.

The chilling sensation of death became clear even within the scorching heat.

”You think you people can escape after getting the Philosopher’s Tablet?”

The coarse voice was hard to identify yet speaking in words that Kieran could understand through the flames. The voice was filled with disdain and mockery but was more like a declaration to Kieran.

When the voice subsided, the fiery swords thrusted eagerly at their target.

Soun Soun Soun!

The condensed air-breaking sounds were similar to rains of arrows.

Yet, none of the fiery swords stabbed Kieran.

While that was happening, countless venomous snakes with an arm’s thickness appeared on the floor and hurled themselves towards the fiery swords like a rising tide.

Within an instant, the fiery swords were extinguished by the snakes, followed by the flames around the area.

After a breath’s time, the blazing flames that were burning hot a moment ago had disappeared without a trace. All that was left were layers of snake hisses.

Amidst the series of hisses was eerie, jaded, reptilian eyes and venomous fangs that were sharp like daggers and crooked as a hook. A layer of chilling, poisonous mist was sprayed out by the snakes, filling the whole secret room, enshrouding every possible corner within, including the being in its fiery form. It seemed to be very effective against the fiery being.

The human-formed fire was stunned on the spot after being sent into a trance.

After a few seconds, it came to its senses.

Though when it escaped the Fear effect of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], the whole secret room had been frozen by the chilling mist from [Wilco’s Grudge]’s [Chilling Touch]. A layer of freezing frost encased the floor, the wall, and the fiery being!

Everything within the room was frozen solid.

The flame that the being was so proud of was extinguished long ago.

The fiery being was struggling under the layer of frost, seemingly wanting to say something, but Kiera replied with a kick to its face.

Bak!

The kick with the force of a thousand men crushed the frozen chunk of ice before it, shattering it to pieces. An orange glowing item appeared on top of the shattered ice.

Kieran grabbed it swiftly and left in a hurry without even checking the item.

If he stayed any longer, the sudden changes in the secret room would be discovered by the people on top.

...

It was after half an hour when Kieran returned to Lander’s mansion.

Lander didn’t go back to his room for a rest, but instead, he was waiting in the study room.

”How was it?”

He asked eagerly when he saw Kieran return.

”The witnesses were killed!” Kieran shook his head.

”Is that so?” Lander muttered in disappointment but swiftly reacted.

”Anything else you need?” Lander asked concernedly.

The businessman was giving out an odd respectful feeling. Kieran could clearly sense it.

No doubt, when Kieran used [Mesly Ring] to dominate Pelby, the scene was dreadful for Lander to watch.

Kieran frowned. He instinctively wanted to explain more, but when the words reached his mouth, they turned into a request for a room to rest. Kieran realized he had no obligations to explain matters to Lander. Their relationship hadn’t reached that point yet.

Kieran was then led to his guest room: a wide room with a basin to wash up, plus a giant soft bed and a delicate supper on the table.

After gulping down the bowl of sweet soup that was similar to longan dessert, he took out the two spoils of war that he had gotten for the night.

[Name: The Fallen’s Eye]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attributes: Utilizing the demonic energy within the wooden plate to confuse the beings that laid eyes on it, 2/3 remaining]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit B]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a replica of a great item!]

...

[Name: Clamp of Fire]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attribute: Summon a Secondary Fire Elemental with 1500 HP to serve your will. Able to assign task to it, but unable to leave the summoner more than 50 meter radius, 10 minutes duration, 1/1 remaining]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: B+]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a replica of a great item!]

...

The wooden plate that Kieran had gotten from the leader of the little Night monster crowd, [The Fallen’s Eye], was not much of a surprise since he had guessed about it before he got his hands on it. The system description was not much of a surprise as well.

Though, [Clamp of Fire] was different.

”Secondary Fire Elemental? Elemental Beings?”

Kieran recalled the strange fire being that he fought.

Even though the human form fire was invulnerable against physical attacks, possessing abilities to transform and even summon fire, it was different from the impression that Kieran had of a Fire Elemental.

Elemental beings had low level of intelligence. When it reached High level, it would only possess a certain level of intelligence.

In simple words, let alone assigning task to the Secondary Fire Elemental, the abilities to speak and actions were similar to other beasts in the jungle.

More importantly, elemental beings lived in harsh environments. For example, the fire elemental resided around a volcano. Coming across one near the mountains was nothing out of the blue, yet it was strange to come across one in the middle of a city.

Plus the remarks, ”a replica of a great item”; Kieran’s expression changed as he started to ponder the question.

”A creation by the Night race? Or like the dungeon background description, some other monster totally different from the Night race? Did they or a part of them decide to work with the Night race?”

Kieran was tossing around the thumb-sized red jewel and thinking in his heart.

In absence of further information, his guesses couldn’t be verified. Though one thing for sure was that the Philosopher’s Tablet was much more important than he had imagined.

It was not a good news though as the tablet itself was destroyed. All that was left was Herbert, the walking tablet.

The Night race and the other interested parties would definitely chase Herbert to the ends of the world.

”Please be safe!” Kieran prayed softly, based on the main mission and also their relationship from the previous dungeon.

Though, reality always unfolded in the exact opposite direction of hopes and expectations.