Nether Feast - Chapter 7

After breakfast and getting more information about current affairs from the minister, I asked about the Grayson Tower. Even though it was a low-rank tower, the top floors had never been cleared. There had never been call by the Kingdom of Oren, so the adventurers with the strength to do so hadn’t visited.

The reason for this was because a tower provided a livelihood and resources for entire communities like Grayson City. To clear the dungeon completely would be the beginning of the end for most communities that existed around them. Sometimes that wasn’t the case. As long as some creatures survived and adequate time was given for them to repopulate, a tower or dungeon could recover. There was no guarantee it would return to its former glory even if it did, however.

When I approached the tower for the second time in my life, I kept this in mind as I sought resources for my only living friend, Minster Leighton. Just the kindness of telling me what happened to my family would’ve been enough for me to make the trip, but he was also going far beyond that. He’d already sent word to my sister that I’d been found alive. A transportation scroll was being procured that would take me directly to the city in which she lived. In the end, after he’d found out what happened to his son and daughter, he treated me like one of his own. Helping him get to the second realm was the least I could do.

I made a stop on the twenty fourth floor that could be deadly for most—even those in the first realm if they weren’t careful. With my level in the ninth realm and in possession of a demon lord’s body, the maze that hadn’t been completely explored wasn’t even a challenge. I didn’t bother trying to find my way. If there was a wall, I went over it. If I couldn’t go over, I went through it.

Walking through one such wall with the ease of walking through a sheet of falling water, I was immediately attacked by a dozen green vines with nasty oozing tentacles. I didn’t even bother to try and dodge but let them grab ahold of me. Taking in the monstrous planet’s nook, I found hundreds of displaced bones lying around from monsters and adventurers alike. This plant was overpowered for this floor and around level sixty, ten levels higher than it should’ve been after going such a long time eating whatever it liked.

I approached, letting its eyeless, serpent like head latch onto my shoulder. Bending down, I thrust my hand into the ground, fishing it out by the roots. The moment I tore it from the earth, its head and remaining vines all retracted into the root. It was black in color and the size of a large gourd.

Minister Leighton had given me a special cloth to wrap such treasures in which I used before locking it in a small chest and placing it in a pouch on my belt. Before I left the maze, I beheaded the boss named Windowmaker. It was a giant spider that was notoriously difficult to draw out from hiding. It failed however to escape the notice of my sixth sense. Its entire body was a treasure trove for common adventurers, so I tossed in my inventory to harvest later.

My next few stops were straight forward. The boss on the thirty-first floor was a simple golem that dropped a rare beryl gemstone. It reformed every couple of weeks and was rarely killed except by higher level adventure parties as they headed to the upper floors. It wasn’t an easy kill for those who’d commonly visit this floor. It was convenient so I took advantage while I was there.

I continued to investigate anything that caught my interest and gathered resources as I went. Some boss monsters I defeated, while others I left alone. Clearing the tower completely wasn’t my goal. I decided to trim the fat and rid it of some of the more troubling dangers while I was at it. Any adventures that followed after me would still find numerous challenges, but there would be far less surprises on floors that were considered beyond the appropriate level.

I avoided groups of adventures as I climbed. The higher I went, the less often I sensed others. The fiftieth floor was the highest floor normally explored. After that point I didn’t notice anyone. Above that, the monsters were just too difficult for all but the most powerful adventures. By the sixtieth floor, some monsters were in the first realm—over level 99. The adventure parties that went there and beyond were made up of highly experienced experts. Even though the city was filled with adventurers that entered the tower constantly, those that explored the higher floors were often from out of town and their expeditions took weeks at a time.

As I picked up treasure after treasure during my climb, I began to consider what I could do with the resources I was finding. I then contemplated what to do with the century’s worth of items and materials I had brought with me from the Netherplane. It was my intention to help Minster Leighton get to the next realm, but with the wealth of resources I already had, there was no reason for me to leave it at that. There was also my sister and her family to consider. I had enough demon and dragon blood to help her and for her descendants to develop strong traits. I’d also learned during my years fighting that just drinking enough high tier blood could help advance your level. Both were things that would take some careful experimentation. Diluting such blood might be the safest way to go. There was also the possibility that my own blood could be used for the same purposes.

My mind turned to Arusha. I still believe it was best that she didn’t learn that I’d returned, but if I could grant her the resources to grow in realm and live a longer, healthier life, then I would do so. It stung that I wouldn’t be the one to spend that time with her, but how could I not help if it was in my power to do so when it took so little effort?

It wasn’t until I reached the eightieth floor that I faced off with the greater demon population of Grayson Tower. They looked like horse-sized bulldogs with horns in place of ears and reddish fur. At this level, rarely were the demons humanoid in body, but they all had at least an intelligence nearing that of mankind.

My first thought was to kill them all. It was so instinctual that my hand shot up and mana gathered for a spell that would wipe the floor in an instant. I caught myself before unleashing it. I wasn’t here to cleanse this tower. There was only one more person I needed to kill.

I let a full third of my aura loose and the twenty-two mongrels I sensed in the closest rooms faltered, falling to the floor. It wasn’t enough to kill them, but it was a match for the second realm—a full realm higher than they were.

“I’m not here to kill you,” I said curtly. “I’m ascending to the top of the tower. Bring this floor’s best treasures to the entrance to the next floor and I’ll let you live.”

My aura lessened a little and, without a word, the demons under its power scurried away.

I took a slow stroll toward the entrance to the next floor. I wasn’t sure if they would obey, but by the time I reached my destination half of them were already waiting their groveling and treasure was piled up before the entrance to the next level.

I waited another few minutes and the mound grew bigger. I sensed a few more demons coming and only after they had dropped off their offerings did I place everything in my inventory and left without another word.

For the next fifteen floors I used the same process. Much of the items they brought held little worth to me, but now that I was considering the families of my sister and ex-fiancé, it held more value.

The tower’s true masters didn’t appear until the ninety fifth floor. Though they still came in different shapes and sizes, a small army of humanoid demons met me with a shield wall and magic barrier active.

I amped my aura up to the boarder of the third realm and they didn’t dare attack. I took the opportunity to examine them closely. I’d seem demons of all kinds, but these had an almost human-like pigment to their skin with a purple tint.

“I intend to meet with the master of this tower,” I said, curious how they would respond. “Bring me the better treasure on this level and escort me to the next floor. Do so without resisting and I’ll let you live.”

A mage started screaming at me in what must have been some kind of demonic profanity, but the demon with the darkest completion and strongest aura in the back of the party took a step toward him and lopped off his head with a swift swing of his sword.

“Forgiveness,” their leader cried with a bow and covering his eyes with a hand in some kind of show of humility. Without raising up, he called out to his men. “Do as he asks. With haste.”

The decisiveness of their leader truly impressed me. He was a man, or demon, that had much experience with life and death. He was willing to do what it took to save as many of his people as possible. That was not a common characteristic I’d seen in demonkin.

I didn’t comment but lessened my aura as a sign that I accepted the man’s proposal. Walking forward, I stopped at the entrance to the next room and their leader quickly rose up and hurriedly led the way.

“Follow me, my King,” he said before continuing on with a subdued posture.

We made it to the stairs heading up to the next floor in a few minutes. He immediately bowed and said, “My quarters are locked, my King. Give me a few minutes and I’ll return with my personal treasures.”

Before he could leave, I commanded him to stop. “Keep what is yours. Are the upper floors separated by clan, or are you all a part of the same one?”

“You can consider us the same and separate. We belong to the ruling clan, but the lower floors are lesser families that serve the greater one.”

“I see…”

As the floor’s treasure were being gathered, I started to search through my inventory. I took ownership of the items gathered but turned to the leader one last time before proceeding to climb.

“In all my time in the Nether Plane, I’ve rarely seen more than savagery and cannibalism from demons of the first realm. Killing your man for the sake of your men and self-preservation has impressed me. Take this.”

A corpse of a bestial demon that looked like a buffalo with a three progged tail appeared on the floor. “Take care when eating this. It was a second realm demon and might be harmful if too much is consumed too quickly.”

The leader’s eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees. The entire room of demons followed suit.

Rather embarrassed, I spun as they thanked me and began to scale the stairs.

I released my aura at the beginning of the third realm when reaching the next floor to frighten the hotheaded demons that might dare to taunt me. I had no other problems.

Reaching the one hundredth floor, I was met with a presession of soldiers that were all in the middle of the first realm. They seemed to be close to the level limit of the Grayson Tower.

I wasn’t exactly surprised when I found when reaching the top of the stairs. It was a massive throne room that spanned the length of the entire floor. It was more than a kilometer to the other end. The main family was also out in force. The soldiers didn’t line up shoulder to shoulder, but with a few meters between them. They created a path for me from one end of the room to the other on either side of the walkway.

To keep my word to the demons on the lower floors, I loosed my aura to the third realm as I began the trek toward the tower master’s throne.

In my youth, it had been but a dream to make it to the top floor of a tower. Only the peak existences in our world could do such a thing on their own. Their number wasn’t small, but compared to the population of average adventurers, they were a single constellation in the sea of countless stars.

I let my curiosity reign as I examined the soldiers as I passed. All of the families in this clan had a human-like pigment to their skin. This lead family was darker than most of those on the lower floors, but their skin color only varied as much as a human’s might. Compared to the demons I was familiar with on the Nether Plane that ranged from obsidian-black to crimson, and gray to pearl-white, this clan almost didn’t look like demons at all. Sure they had horns coming out the sides of their heads, but that seemed like a little thing compared to their overall appearance. Were they different than the demons I’d faced on the Netherplane?

When I reached the foot of the throne, the largest humanoid demon I’d seen in the tower came to his feet. He made a show of descending the stairs to stand level with me. He was the only monster in the tower I’d seen that had reached the second realm.

He stood a head taller than me, and his horns only added to his height. I didn’t expect him to bow, and he didn’t, but his tone was almost as humble as the leader I’d rewarded on the ninety fifth floor. “King Adventurer. I am Demon King Jerras. You have left my clan intact. For that I am eternally grateful. Shall we duel to the death? Is it riches you’re after?”

I didn’t answer him right away but stood there watching him. He didn’t back down. His bearing reminded me of a much younger Demon Lord Kiafer. I then told him why I had come. “I entered the Grayson Tower a century ago. Most of my party was killed and I was pulled into the Netherplane. I returned just yesterday and have come to retrieve your head as a gift to the father of two of my party members who perished in the incident. To help him find peace. I—”

A sudden scream pulled my attention, and that of the entire room. “Father,” shrieked a female voice.

The girl approached like a bolt of lightning. Two guards tried to block her path, but she took to the air and shot toward me with a blade outstretched. The lightning surrounding the blade was as black as night. I didn’t even flinch as she closed in—taken back by what I saw.

It was the king himself that stepped forward and blocked the girl’s blade. Before she’d even landed, his hand was around her neck, and he was driving her to the floor. It might have seemed like harsh treatment, but I saw the king’s restraint.

In moments, the girl was being held by two soldiers. Another young demon with similar but more masculine features to the girl arrived and was standing before her as if he planned on defending her.

I’d been in the Nether Plane for a century, and hadn’t seen anything like it. Even demon soldiers were competitive with one another to the point of hostility, but this seemed like a real family that actually cared for one another.

Turning my attention to the king, though he hadn’t bowed before, I witnessed him fall on his face before me. “Please spare these foolish children, King Adventurer.”

How could there be such a distinction between the ones I’d known and the ones in front of me? Looking back at the young female, I asked. “She’s your daughter?”

“Yes, my lord. She is.”

“Why after all my time in the Nether Plane did I not see any female demons?”

The look in the king’s eye was pleading. He didn’t want to answer my question, but I didn’t give him room to reject my question. “All that’s normally required for a demon to be born is spilled demon blood, the right environment, and time. Most aren’t birthed the way humans are. But rarely, female demons are born. They’re one in a thousand, and capable of procreating as you humans do. Unlike blood-birth, females birth higher realm children. Because of their rarity, they are kept from the killing fields and protected by the clan. It’s not surprising you never seen one.”

“I see… And the boy?”

“Her younger brother. Both of them lack the wisdom of their mother, who’s obedient and has remained in her chambers.”

I shook my head as I looked back and forth between them. Though I suspected higher realm demons might live more civilized lives, seeing first realm youths that obviously cared for one another’s wellbeing opened something like a wound inside of me. How many millions of fathers had I killed? Billions?

The king took my reaction the wrong way and kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. “If King Adventurer requires it, I can have a female vessel prepared for you, but this one has only seen four decades of life. Please, let her return to her chamber in peace.”

The girl had been glaring up at me with defiant tears in her eyes, but as soon as she realized what her father was saying the tears slowed and she started to tremble. When she saw I was looking, her eyes shot to the floor.

“I think she has learned her lesson,” I replied quickly. I was about to take the king’s life and had no intention of torturing him by dragging out my response. “But I have some questions before she returns to her room.”

“Of course, my King,” the demon king said, turning to his son and daughter with a stern gaze. “Answer fully and honestly.”

“Yes, father,” they responded as one.

I drew near, and they both lowered their gaze. The boy, however, was still bowing. His hand never left the hilt his sword at his side.

“Young man,” I said, for he really wasn’t a boy. He was a boy to me now but was probably at least as old as I was when I first entered the tower. “You’re willing to put yourself in danger to protect your sister. Why?”

“It is my duty,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Is it just out of a sense of duty, or do you care for her?”

He sniffled and seemed like he was about to say something when he lunged at me, unsheathing his sword in a swift movement. We were already within arm’s reach so no one could stop him before his sword reached my chest.

I felt a dull thud as the lower tier blade did little more than cut a slit in my robes.

The king and the young man’s sister screamed in protest at what the young man had done, but they were too late to stop him.

“Silence,” I said without even raising my voice, and everyone complied.

The young man stood there wide eyed. His body had gone limp.  He knew he was dead.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Prince Wildist,” he whispered. He then remembered to follow up with, “My King.”

“Your actions were foolish, but they have also opened my eyes to something I wasn’t sure was impossible. I will not kill you.”

At my words, he wobbled where he stood for a moment before falling to his rear with a plop.

I addressed the king. “Are you responsible for capturing adventurers and sending them to the Netherplane?”

“I am,” he replied. “We are Clan Eorith, and like most clans of the towers in your realm, we have been banished here as a punishment by a demon lord of the Netherplane. We are required to send a certain quota of goods, including humans. In exchange, we are given resources that can’t be found here. Without them, our clan will inevitably die off.”

“And what do you receive that you can’t live without?”

“Low realm demon meat mostly. It’s what allows us to feed and grow stronger without having to constantly compete with adventurers for the resources of the tower. Without it, we would be forced to constantly engage in battle and without sufficient backing, our clan would eventually parish.”

I gave the young man another look, and also his sister. “So if I could replace this source of food, you’d have no reason to fill their quota?”

“If the resources stopped following, then they would assume the tower was cleared and send a third realm demon to find out what happened.”

“When would they come?”

“In a few months…” The king replied, daring to glance up.

“And when this demon they sent doesn’t return? How would they respond?”

He had to give it some thought before he replied. “For a lower rank tower like this, they’d wouldn’t think it was worth the effort and abandon it.”

“Good. After I finish my business here, I’ll leave your people with enough resources to last for some time. The Eorith Clan will never again fill the quota of the lords of the Netherplane, and the capturing of humans is forbidden for any reason. If you break this law, I will cleanse the clan of its leadership and start over with those who are willing,” I held what I was going to say until both Wildist and his sister were looking at me. “I will provide for you myself with more than just the scraps your lord was providing you, and in exchange you will become my vassals. I’ll return in a few weeks, and we will sort out the details.”

A genuine grin came to the king’s face, and he climbed to his feet. “Good. With that settled, then will you do me the honor of a warrior’s death?” A vicious scepter appeared in his hand.

“I will,” I replied, glancing to the side to see many of his people too close for their own good.

“Fallback,” he cried.

Immediately, the thousands of soldiers burst into action. Even his son and daughter did as they were told without having to be dragged away. In a few moments, the throne room was empty except for the two of us. I saw some onlookers in open doorways to either side of the hall. There was a barrier protecting them. Soon I realized there were hundreds of such entrances and demons were crowded in each one, watching what was about to happen.

“May I have the honor of seeing the status screen of the man who is about to take my life?” The king said, giving his scepter a few swings to limber up.

I saw no harm in fulfilling his request, so I opened it up and showed him.

His reaction was the last thing I’d expected. His face lit up as if he was receiving a priceless gift. Bowing at the waist, he covered his eyes with his hand as the honorable leader on the lower floor had. “Forgive me, my Lord. I am blind though I see. I have dishonored you by calling you king. How long do you plan on making use of the Eorith Clan?”

“If they fulfill my requests, I will treat them fairly, give them a chance to grow, and protect them from those that seek to do them harm, including mankind, for as long as I live.”

“Then let this king’s last words proclaim your intentions.”

“Very well.”

He turned in the direction his children had gone and filled his lungs with air before lifting his voice. “I, Demon King Jerras, hereby severe the path of vengeance between my people and the one who takes my life. Today, our honor is restored. Let it be known that Clan Eorith serves Ailen Reaver, Demon Lord.”

The commotion that followed caused the air to rumble with excitement. Not wanting their loyalty to be based on a lie, I addressed the king. “I am human.”

“Yes,” he replied with the bow of his head.

“Then why lie to them?”

“I didn’t lie, my lord. You are undoubtedly human, but also have the body and mind of a Demon Lord, do you not? You grew to power in the killing fields of the Netherplane. No one alive in my clan can say the same. In many ways, you are more demon than I am. And with your support, my clan will receive more blessings than they ever would under my leadership. To die at your hand is my honor, and to have you become the patron my clan when I’m gone is more than this king could wish for. Go to my wife when this is over. I am but her third husband, and she has seen nine centuries of life. She is the true wisdom of our clan and will be of great help to you.”

I took time to consider all that he said before nodding. “I will.”

His grin only grew at my words. He then unleashed his aura—the full power of a second realm powerhouse. “You needn’t fear that you will harm those watching. Let me feel the full extent of a Demon Lord’s power before I go.”

My mind turned to Demon Lord Kiafer. This King Jerras’ sense of honor reminded me much of him. That gave me clarity in what I had to do next. What he desired was to have a memorable death—one that his clan would pass down for generations. Even though this Demon King was responsible for the deaths of so many humans, including my own friends, he was far different from the monster I believed I would find here.

“As you wish,” I replied, unfastening the belt at my waist. Inventorying it, my robe followed soon after, leaving a pair of flexible leather shorts that should at least be able to survive my aura. The shine of my unnatural physique put my claim of humanity into question. Equipping my three meters long sword that was the color of blood, I held it out to the side with one hand before letting it drop to the floor. It landed, sending a thunderclap throughout the room.

The king lowered his stance to keep himself from falling over. He held his scepter with both hands and grinned from ear to ear. This was his final challenge, and he was ready to meet it with all he had.

I lifted my voice where all could hear. “This was the sword of Kiafer, the Demon Lord of Perpetual Dread. I took it from him as I tore his arm from his body. He is my enemy and great rival. It has tasted both my blood and his. Today, it will take your head.”

My aura exploded outward. I kept it contained between just me and the king as best I could. It jumped from the peak of the third realm to the fourth in an instant.

He was taller than I was and much more intimidating, but under the pressure of my aura, I saw the muscles of his legs, shoulders, and neck bulge to remain standing.

I doubted he could keep it up for long, so I didn’t hold back. My aura climbed to the fifth and sixth realms.

The king didn’t fall even when it reached the seventh. As it neared the eighth, he took on a look of forced determination. His own aura climbed and fought with all he had.

At the eighth realm, blood trickled out of his eyes and nose. Nearing the ninth, it started flowing out of his ears.

It had only taken a few seconds in total to bring my aura to its maximum. It was a miracle the king was still holding on. I gave him a nod as if to say I’d reached my peak.

With a blood-gurgling cry, he trudged forward with a last surge of his remaining strength.

As he reached me, his scepter came down. It pommeled into my chest with enough force to leave a small bruise that regenerated in less than a second. For one at his level, that made it no less impressive.

An instant later, my aura cut off. His visage was covered in trails of blood that continued to flow. I gave him enough time to gather his strength to look me in the eye.

When he did, I spoke aloud. I doubted his eardrums worked any longer, but I added emphasis to my mouth’s movement so that he could make out what I said. “You are strong.”

The corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Giving him a solemn grin of my own, I flashed to his flank with a speed impossible for him to perceive.

I placed my blade in my inventory. King Jerras seemed frozen. Time appeared to restart all at once and the powerful demon toppled forward. His head and the top of his scepter rolled free.

Appearing over the corpse, I placed the King’s head in my inventory. Feeling a new powerful presence, I turned in the direction the demon’s children had gone. A female demon with fire-orange horns and a pale complexion stood near the entrance to one of the side rooms. She wore a black gown as one in mourning and didn’t drop her gaze as our eyes met.

She was frighteningly beautiful with strong cheekbones and a sharp jawline. The king’s daughter resembled her, so I was pretty sure I knew who she was.

“You’re his queen?” I asked with a soft tone.

“I am,” she replied with a bow of her head. “Will you follow me, please.”

No other demon had returned to the throne room, but I saw that they were still watching. Abiding by her request, I soon found myself in a maze of elegantly decorated halls following her.