CHAPTER 44: | THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
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Days blurred into weeks as I'd tirelessly scoured every nook and cranny of the cavern.
Astria had only hinted at its proximity, never truly revealing its exact location.
A woman's pettiness is truly terrifying, but what could I say?
I deserved it.
A smile curved on my lips as I muttered.
"This should be the place."
This passage was the last one unchecked, and after delving deeper inside I could feel it, a faint, almost imperceptible shimmering in the currents, like heat haze above scorched earth, hinted at a spatial distortion.
It was an unmistakable sign of a dungeon anchored in this world.
Unlike conventional dungeons, which are built physically into the landscape, a true dungeon is not a tangible structure.
Instead, it's a secret realm, cultivators address it as such, or, in a certain world I'd reincarnated into once classified it, as a spatial crack leading to another dimension.
That world had been quite intriguing, categorizing those who journeyed the path to Ascendant as 'hunters' with ranks from F to SSS.
A fascinating concept, but overall, it was a weak world.
An invasion of demons had utterly destroyed it, and that's where I had died.
I'd reached the apex of that world thanks to my authority, 'Myth Voracity,' but I was no match for those seven cardinal demon kings.
They possessed the myth of the Seven Deadly Sins, along with its corresponding authority.
I licked my lips, a primal hunger stirring.
I couldn't help but crave him, the one who possessed the authority of Gluttony.
If I could obtain it, fuse it with my authority, 'Myth Voracity,' and witness the evolution it would undergo, the mere notion of it made my throat ache with an insatiable, burning thirst.
Wiping my mouth, a low, rumbling chuckle escaped from my lips, echoing faintly in the vast space.
A shimmering streak of amethyst light tore open the shadowed cavern currents, unfolding into a swirling, obsidian void just tens of meters away.
A crack in space, an anchor to reality, it was the portal to this world's history, the very dungeon Astria had mentioned.
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[New Discovery!]
[The Dimensional Record would like to issue a quest.]
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[Quest Issued: Tomb of the Lost Dragon Emperor]
[Description:]
You have unearthed a relic of the First Calamity, the final resting place of the Dragon Emperor, whose reign ended in tragedy beneath the claws of the World Enemy. Bound by regret and unfinished purpose, his spirit lingers, unable to ascend.
As the chosen bearer of this revelation, you stand before a fateful decree. Will you become the vessel of his fractured will and carry forth his forgotten legacy, or will you sever his tether and consign his soul to oblivion?
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[Quest Objectives:]
The Dimensional Records beseech you to resolve the Dragon Emperor's torment.
Two paths lie before you:
Preserve His Will: Seek the scattered remnants of his power and reforge the legacy he could not bequeath.
End His Torment: Annihilate his lingering spirit, granting him peace, and in doing so, claim a reward shaped by finality.
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[Reward:]
Your recompense shall reflect your chosen path, and the resolve with which you walk it.
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[Do you accept this Quest?]
[Yes] / [No]
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What could I say but accept?
The Dimensional Record always seemed to offer rewards I couldn't refuse.
Delving into the dungeon would grant me the desired levels to ascend to Stage 1.
Killing and devouring the Dragon Emperor was a predetermined fate, and receiving the Dimensional Record's generous compensation would be killing three birds with one stone.
My lips curved into a predatory smile as a hearty laugh burst from my chest.
"Hahaha."
I mused, a wide grin spreading across my face.
'Perhaps the saying I once heard in the past is true, villains live more comfortably than heroes.'
As I clicked 'Yes,' another shimmering hologram materialized before me, casting an ethereal glow on the cavern walls.
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[Quest Accepted: Tomb of the Lost Dragon Emperor]
[The Dimensional Record has now confirmed the quest.]
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[New Objectives Unlocked]
Delve and Explore the Dungeon:
You have discovered the ancient tomb and received the quest, but now, you must descend into its depths. What lies within? Is it merely the buried history of a forgotten era… or something far more ominous and alive?
Clear the Segments of the Dungeon:
To reach the heart of the tomb, you must progress through its segmented layers, each one hidden within a vast miniature world. Slay the Overseers that guard each segment, and uncover the cryptic methods needed to advance. Clues are scattered throughout the realm; observe, decipher, survive.
Confront the Dragon Emperor:
In the last segment, a miniature world cradles the resting place of the Dragon Emperor's soul. There, you must earn his recognition and choose your fate: inherit his broken will… or erase his presence from existence entirely.
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It was quite a dilemma, but an interesting journey nonetheless.
Astria had revealed no specific information about this quest, which only added to the allure.
Still, it was fun to anticipate a quest like this once in a while.
Now, with the Dimensional Record's mention of "miniature worlds," I remembered what a dungeon truly was.
So, a dungeon isn't a single space, but a collection of interconnected miniature worlds, its vastness depending on the number of segments within, each stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Each segment is a living piece of history, a miniature world that can only be cleared by solving its intricate puzzles and discovering the hidden passage to the next floor, all from the cryptic clues it offers.
While delving into a dungeon is notoriously a pain in the ass, considering each segment stretches for hundreds of thousands of miles, this would still be fun, a dynamic reenactment of history itself.
I wondered what tribe of Overseers guarded each miniature world, and if the souls, the very beings within these miniature worlds, possessed any special qualities.
I couldn't help but wonder what lay inside the dungeon as I stood mere inches away.
My eyes gleamed with unbridled excitement as I watched the raw distortion the portal carved into the surrounding space, twisted with light and shadow.
My smile widened, a predator's anticipation, as I lifted my feet and stepped into the swirling void of the portal.
"History of this world."
I whispered, my voice a hungry rasp.
"Show me the prominent figures etched into your very annals!"