With 10% of borrowed stats coursing through Ember, we fly through the desert faster than I've ever traveled, making it to the center of the dark continent in under a minute; coming to a halt right above the crater made by Arie and the Demon General's clash.
Ember reverts to his human form, and we float down to begin restoring the immobilized demons scattered across the desert.
Green restoration circles powered by 1% borrowed stats and Abby's yellow divine threads form beneath the paralyzed and dying demonic soldiers, neutralizing the poison and healing the lost limbs of some of the knights Luna sliced through.
I follow behind Abby, pulling out Qi crystals that I farmed from the desert floor below Palmyra, using my True Core's divine energy manipulation ability to crush the white energy into a digestible microscopic mist, and streamlining pure Qi into their cores.
For the orange-cored commanders, I pull a few orange divine fragments out, careful not to accidentally inject any of my own yellow thread into their bodies, and use red fragments to do the same with the knights.
All of the demons stand to their feet once we're done, and I hear a telepathy channel open for all of them; their leader is letting me in to hear their orders.
"Stand down, men. You may do what you wish with them once I enter the throne. For now, we do not engage."
The link is severed, and all of the demons leave without saying a word.
The yellow-core General gives Arie a glare as he leaves, but the others are shaken and keep their heads down.
I float over to Arie and Luna next, a smile across my face, and Arie speaks aloud.
"Sorry to put you in this position. I didn't know there would be—"
I shake my head and extend a hand.
"Don't worry about it; your stunt actually gave me the perfect moment to talk to their leader. It might have been much worse if I was the one to make the first move."
We shake hands, and I speak again, glancing over at Luna standing behind him.
"Glad to have you back, and I'm also glad I got the chance to see you two in real action. You've grown strong."
Ember and Abby float down to greet them next, and we have a brief reunion, interrupted by more telepathic messages from across the 8 Great Regions and Dark Continent—as people still worried about the aura I released moments ago.
I quickly respond now that their lives aren't in danger of the head Demon's wrath.
"Meet me above the Crimson Dome. It's not an emergency; don't be frightened by the aura I just released. This will be quick but necessary. There's someone I want to welcome back and an update to the incoming battle plan."
---
As requested, all notable figures come to the Crimson City.
Bri, Rodrigo, Maria, Raven, Monk, The Saint, Lith, Chester, Abby, Ember, Luna, and Arie all float before me in the air above the red dome in the dark desert.
Lydia and Fisher even emerge from the bunker for a few minutes to listen in, and I invite the dozens of high-level members of the Crimson Army to partake in this briefing as well.
We start by getting comfortable with the familiar faces here. Many reunite with Luna and Arie, while others like Bri, Chester, and Lith reconnect after years apart in the trade scene, even before they met me.
I quietly wait for everyone to get comfortable, scanning the crowd repeatedly, checking my status to see links of loyalty rise, using my all-seeing eye to monitor everything within a 5,000 km radius. Part of my mind keeps examining the interesting new gear Maria is wearing, from which I can't get a status reading, all while thinking carefully about the next words out of my mouth.
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[CH598+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power
FantasyA story following a young hunter named Jay. He has grown up in a world where dungeons, monsters, and humans with leveling systems are a cultural norm. At the age of 20, he awakens a skill that allows him to steal the abilities of monsters. While oth...