Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

The two Demons walk into the center of the lobby with their arms crossed, glancing up at the ceiling while frightened sales workers and customers scatter.

Neither says a word as they enter the elevator to ascend to the trade center's top floor.

A flurry of transmissions ripple throughout the Volterra district, even reaching neighboring lower-class districts. Those on the bottom floor who witnessed their arrival recall the events of days past and understand that whatever is happening now will be even bigger.

As the elevator dings, opening to the top floor, a red-haired human and a massive blue Ogre stand in front of the dueling rooms at the back of the hall, awaiting their guests.

The employees and customers on this floor, however, are not as prepared. The domineering pressure spreading through the room makes even the 2nd Class Red Ogres queasy from hundreds of meters away. Visiting 4th and 3rd Class Lords collapse under the crushing presence of these newly upgraded Avatars.

The tension escalates when a familiar laugh from a purple-horned Demon echoes through the room.

Leonard, the black-horned Demon, speaks as his partner's cackles continue.

"So you have realized your fate. It was nothing but a petty attempt at making the Demons look bad before your very existence was inevitably erased..."

The two walk slowly through the massive hall, and everyone holds their breath, unwilling to shift the focus of this confrontation.

Myron yells over his cool-headed partner's words.

"That's right! You cheated! Anyone could pull off a cheap shot with an illegal Avatar!"

The two stop directly in front of the human and the Ogre. Leonard grins, shifting his gaze toward Ember.

"You pulled off quite the impressive bluff for a mere human. But I'm sorry to deliver this news personally—today is the day you die..."

Red Ogres shuffle behind them, preparing two of the dueling rooms. Ember responds in a calm tone.

"Is that so? I'm bluffing?"

He cracks a faint smile, just enough for both Demons to see, and then shrugs.

"Go ahead, give us the rundown. I know you have orders to follow."

Ember makes a provoking motion with his hand, then glances toward the ceiling where general surveillance systems capture all video and audio in public areas.

Leonard maintains his composure despite the blatant disrespect, but Myron isn't so level-headed. He yells down at the human.

"These aren't mere orders! What I'm doing today is my duty! The public must know the truth—and fear the Demons in this Citadel once and for all! I challenge you to an all-out duel! Mental, physical, no rules, real deaths, and soul damage allowed!"

His teeth grind as an eerie aura emanates from him, his eyes locked on Ember, who keeps a straight face but inwardly grins.

Leonard steps up to the silent blue Ogre, meeting the 1st Class monster eye-to-eye.

"Your Ogre Conglomeration will no longer be a thorn in our side. The Citadel Lord has declared you an enemy worthy of subjugation. You will not leave this trade center until you accept a duel on my terms."

Without hesitation, the human and Ogre nod, replying in unison.

"Pick your terms. I accept your duel. Let us settle this."

Shaking Red Ogres with escrow account devices approach.

All parties involved press their hands onto the devices, inputting 1.0 Low-Quality Ether. Mental commands and terms for the fight rush through the participants' minds, and they agree on no-limitation terms before stepping through the dueling room doors.

This is clearly not a fight for profit; it's about honor, dominance, and public perception.

The doors close, and the two dueling rooms are displayed in crystal-clear holograms across all floors of the trading center.

The Red Ogres outside the dueling rooms begin tapping away at the trading center's data displays. Outside the building, enormous 3D models light up, visible from across the street and as far as a block away.

The magnitude of the event, paired with the system's voice announcing the duels, triggers far more commotion than the initial transmissions from the bottom floor.

Fast Travel Ether Orbs multiply exponentially as tens of thousands of Lords arrive per second from all over the Volterra District, determined not to miss out like last time.

Many watchers of the first event return, and word spreads rapidly. Half the Citadel is soon aware that a second duel between the human and Vermillion's Demon is underway.

High above in the Citadel's central tower, Andras calmly observes the public surveillance systems, which broadcast the duels in perfect clarity.

---

Leonard faces off against the Blue Ogre in a massive white room. He speaks to everyone watching.

"I'm sure you've all heard rumors of a human besting one of the Vermillion Family Demons. However, today, you'll understand the consequences of such actions."

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The black-horned Demon reaches into a green-and-white system storage portal, pulling out a massive longsword, almost as large as his entire body.

He spins it around, Ether flowing from his hands, illuminating the 3D holograms for all to see as the weapon glows brighter and brighter. He spins it above his head once more and points the blade's sharp end at Torvak.

"This here is the mastermind behind that simple ruse: the Ogre Conglomeration's head. It was nothing but a petty retaliation after our Citadel Lord fairly challenged him to a duel last week—and won a prized 1st Class World."

The Demon paces back and forth, shaking his head.

"Our Lord is above such menial tasks now. A Noble Demon shall never walk the same grounds as you lower life forms again. Your puny minds cannot fathom their power, so you've resorted to such lows."

Torvak nods in a professional manner and replies.

"Your words are not fact, but in the Upper Realm, those who are strong decide reality. I shall face you on your terms. As the Ogre Conglomeration head, I must uphold my honor."

His hand disappears into a pure white Ether storage, and a six-meter-long spiked club emerges—obsidian black with glimmers of blue matching his skin tone deep within it.

He pours Ether into the soul weapon, using his Premium Avatar's commands, mixed with excess Ether refined out of its dormant state mere minutes ago.

Simultaneously, a sight to behold is taking place in the dueling area next door. Myron, brimming with anger at the sight of the human who humiliated him, yells out for all to see in holographic form.

"That's right! A 5th Class human used an illegal Avatar smuggled into our Citadel by the Ogres. Such deeds will not go unpunished. Today, you will witness what happens when you fail to respect those who hold undeniable power. Today, you die for your stupidity."

The Demon reaches into green-and-white storage portals himself and pulls out two curved blades, about the length of short swords.

His eyes pulse with Ether at the same intensity as it courses out of his Avatar into the soul weapons.

Ember replies, keeping his hands by his sides.

"All right. If you truly wish to kill me, be prepared to face equal consequences."

The Demon's laugh echoes throughout the chamber as he sees no proper stance or soul weapons drawn to face him.

All his anger and embarrassment fade, replaced by excitement, as the system notice rings outside, showing a 60-second countdown for the first rounds of both matches.

The floors of the Trading Center fill again, and the streets outside become increasingly crowded.

Three eruptions of divine energy and Ether burst from the two Demons and Torvak as they waste no time entering their highest forms.

The two Demons' Avatars grow, nearing 100 meters in height, as they unseal their bloodlines.

Torvak's body vibrates, and a green divine energy-tethered, mana-based Greater Form rises to match the Demons' stature in his dueling room.

Ember, however, stands with his arms crossed, still in his base human form, taking the waves of Ether-infused intimidation head-on.

In response, he tests the waters, sending out an identical highly focused mental attack at the Demon's psyche.

However, when it strikes, the attack surrounds the Demon's head as though the Ether is being dispersed like water. It flows down its shoulders and around the outside of his Avatar, ejected through the Demon's feet.

The Demon laughs, pointing his two enormous curved soul weapons at Ember.

"That trick of yours isn't going to cut it anymore! All your schemes will come to light, and my reputation will be restored!"

Ember whispers under his breath, "A Full Guard Avatar... I haven't seen one of those before. I thought they went extinct too... This might not be as simple as I thought."

He moves his hands into a fighting position, watching as one of the massive curved blades swings down toward him.

Hundreds of possible fighting combinations rush through Ember's mind. However, taking action on any of them would draw too much attention to the possibility of his true identity.

While it is better than dying, exposing himself would make navigating the Upper Realm increasingly difficult if the Overseer caught wind of this so soon.

Ember takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and summons massive amounts of newly refined Ether into his right palm—so much that it shines as brightly as the massive blade in the holograms displayed to the crowds outside.

When the two collide, a similar clash occurs between the enormous demonic longsword and Blue Ogre's club in the room beside them.

Over a million Lords are watching this live—some inside the trade center, but most outside, filling the streets in the heart of the Volterra district, with more flashing Fast Travel Orbs zipping in from all over the Citadel.

Leonard's eyes widen at the fact that the Blue Ogre he's challenged has somehow blocked his attack.

They stand at a stalemate, waves of natural intimidation radiating from both their Avatars.

However, even though Blue Ogres are one of the dominant 1st Class races, a 1st Class Demon should still be leagues above in natural strength.

Torvak's buffs are well-documented over the millennia, and his overall strength does not increase with additional planets any more than other Lords with the standard stat multiplier applied through Avatars.

This Demon has upward of twenty times the planets, with a mix of 3rd and 2nd grade worlds as his base, and a handful of 1st Class worlds similar to Torvak's.

Their strength shouldn't be equal, the Demon is meant to have the advantage in every way. Yet, the Blue Ogre's stoic face stares back at him, bulging blue veins visible beneath his green Greater Form.

The soul weapon in his grasp glows brighter and brighter white, holding off the overwhelming natural strength of the superior Demon Lord who challenged him. Their evenly matched clash elicits gasps that ripple through blocks of the Citadel.

Even the Noble Lord in his tower is surprised by this turn of events. However, the sight in the second dueling room sets his mind at ease.

Ember blocks the incoming Demon's sword with his palm, but the energy difference is overwhelming.

It doesn't break through his flesh, but the rippling impact of the Ether pushes Ember back, sending him flying into the back wall of the dueling room.

Landing on the center of the wall feet first, he mimics the Full Guard technique the Demon used moments ago, letting the offensive attack ripple through him and dissipate into the wall.

The Demon wastes no time and lunges forward, swinging his second curved sword at Ember. The red-haired human remains calm.

Mental simulations of the battle's outcomes replay in Ember's mind. While he could block these hits endlessly, it would waste large amounts of cleansed and refined Low Quality Ether.

His body, held together by microscopic silver threads, moves similarly to the purple barrier. Most of his energy is consumed by merely existing. Releasing more power into a dragon form or unleashing his astral form would surely complicate matters further. These are not techniques even an illegal avatar can recreate.

As Ember blocks the second sword swing with his left palm, he isn't just sent flying; he's pinned against the back wall of the room, a 20-meter-long curved sword imbued with the Demon's Ether crashing into him.

The Demon spams his soul weapon's attack command, sending wave after wave of Ether at Ember repeatedly without having to swing again. Ember holds him back with nothing more than his palm and Ether-filled feet pressed against the wall.

The Demon shouts with a crazed smile. "You're dead now! No matter what illegal commands you've managed to buy! No matter how strong you think you are! The Demons are always stronger! Ellipsia Citadel, I know you're watching! This is what happens when you challenge the Vermillions. You are utterly defeated! Always!"

Ember lets his arm bend under the immense pressure of the Demon's attack.

It truly is on a tier of its own among the 1st Class Demon Lords.

Ember is using his full strength. Even using the 50% shared links of loyalty stat gains from half a billion beings on the human world, he and this Demon are nearly equal in power.

If this exact duel had taken place three days prior, his unrefined dormant Ether alone would not have been anywhere near enough to block the attacks.

Even now, it seems this unrelenting targeted attack may become hard to fend off or dodge eloquently if it lasts much longer. Ember contemplates ways to win without exposing his silver threads. However, mid-thought, his question is answered by a surprising status message coming from below the Citadel in the Exile Zones.