33 Book 3 Chapter 29 (1/2)
Demon.
The word held multiple meanings, and inside the tower meant something specific. If you performed a particular action, you would be recognized as a demon. All you had to do was steal the strength of another creature, usually by consumption.
The reasoning was straightforward: why bother training for years on end when you could just take someone else's strength for yourself?
Demons generally skyrocketed in power faster than anyone else, but they lived short lives. Stealing the strength of others was taboo. Most lifeforms held hatred toward demons and would work to hunt them down at all costs.
It was tough for a demon to reach great heights. Besides being hated, consuming the strength of another was inefficient. It was only after countless years that a new species was born, solving this issue.
A pure demon.
The universe was full of abilities, and a pure demon could consume them all with frightening efficiency. Vex, the god of darkness, was one such demon.
The floor Jason found himself on was not unlike a farm. Countless demonic monsters hunted each other, evolving until pure demons harvested them. And now, those very demons lived just forty-some miles away from the base Jason and his companions occupied.
Inside the haven, Peter sent off the construction team, much to their relief. When the last teleported away, he turned, appreciating the defenses as he made his way over to Shenlong, who was recounting his experiences outside the haven to the top ascenders. ”…the lycan's stats were about thirty percent higher than mine, but its technique was crude.”
Carly blinked as she voiced her doubt. ”Just thirty percent? How were you wounded to that extent?”
Shenlong shook his head, ”The beast cared little for its life. If you were about to take a hit, you would normally retreat, but the lycan doubled down. I didn't want to trade blow for blow. It was frustrating.”
Sam, the leader of the scout team, leaned forward. ”We saw numerous fights between monsters while we were out. As you said, they care little for their life.”
Jason listened silently next to Roy and Olivia. At Peter's suggestion, he refrained from holding their hands through every problem the team encountered. It was only in this way they could adapt and grow. Unfortunately, it seemed his knowledge became less useful the more time passed.
After several minutes of discussion, Jason spoke for the first time, his gaze on Sam. ”Did you find any points of interest?”
”None,” Sam furrowed his brow. ”Though we went out, it was just a preliminary expedition. We didn't go far.”
”Hmm.” Jason folded his arms with some disappointment.
Peter added with a stern tone. ”Speaking of, how confident are you in heading out again tonight?”
”Pretty confident,” Sam smiled with pride, ”most of us get a boost to our stats and skills during nightfall.”
The usually silent Ebba raised her hand. ”There is a large density of death energy to the east.”
Hearing her comment, Jason came to a sudden realization. As a necromancer, Ebba harnessed death energy when killing monsters, thus making her particularly sensitive to it. Peter had been paying close attention to Jason in the past few weeks, so he immediately noticed Jason's change in expression. ”Figure something out?”
”I just realized something – on this floor, Ebba is a living treasure radar.” Jason looked at Ebba with strong emotions, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
Peter's swift mind quickly figured out what Jason meant. ”Right, this floor is related to the god of darkness. Death energy gathering in large amounts should indicate something special.”
Sam clapped his hands. ”East it is.”
”I'll come with you.” Ebba volunteered. She was particularly interested in gathering all the death energy for herself, as it could strengthen her skills and undead.
The conversation gradually changed from small talk to a discussion between the various leaders. They brainstormed how to best strengthen themselves before the week was up, and only after several hours did the meeting finally end.
Inevitably, the sun fell over the horizon. The floor was dyed pitch black, and if you stood on the edge of the haven, it would seem as if you were staring into an abyss. Even specialized skills did little to pierce the veil. There was no moon in the sky. Instead, a giant eyeball with a red slit for a pupil stared down.