UL1 - Book 10 - Chapter 22

Taking a deep breath, Max steadied himself.

You’re sure about this?

No, but we need to test it and this is the best time and place to do so.  Again, we shouldn’t be in trouble as you’re more than just the physical side of things.  Still, with those two we have the added support if needed.

He took his sword and cut along his forearm, blood dripping as he activated his spell.

[ Demonic Summoning ]

Unlike every time before, this experience was different.  Blood didn’t gush out as it had the last time, nor did it even seem to do anything but control the few drops that had fallen to the sand.

Instead, the entire area around his feet began to tremble, each particle of sand vibrating, waves going out from him.

“Max?” Sog asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “I’m not receiving any notification that you desire to see me.”

“Because you’re here?” Rakonath called out from the opposite side.

The area where his blood had touched the white sand turned dark red, moving to where Max stood, tendrils of red then washed out in circles around him.

Bob?!

We can’t cancel it. I’ve tried. Something is–

Five circles of red rose up from the sand, each one four feet apart as the waves had pushed them outward.  The kaleidoscope view of the world began to appear on the outer edges, accompanied by a crackling sound as Sog started to yell something that was cut off.

He could see his demon friend’s face scrunched up in concern, a black hand extended toward him.

No tear in the fabric of space came. Neither did a doorway.

Max was one moment on a beach, the next he was hovering a hundred yards above a molten lake of fire. Before him was a demon whose torso and above rose from the lava, still towering over him by another fifty yards.  

That’s one big demon…

Easily three hundred yards tall.

Orange, red and black sections of its skin bubbled and popped, lava dripping from cracks in what had to be obsidian or some other kind of stone that served as armor.

A thick finger was pointed at him, a large black nail bigger than him hovering just a few feet away.

The face on the demon didn’t surprise him at all. Horns larger than a house rose from each side of its head, and dark, black eyes studied him as a thick, black tongue licked against sharp, black teeth.

“You… who are you to summon one of my kind with the blood of a god?”

The demon’s voice echoed and thundered. It carried a weight beyond any that Max had imagined was possible, vibrating through his core.

“Does it matter what blood I used? The spell has been cast,” Max replied. “Tell me your name, demon.”

It laughed, flicking its hand that had been outstretched in the air, sending tendrils of lava in different directions.

Wait… this place… it’s… a domain.

Max realized that Bob was right. There was simply lava for miles, no stones, nor sky.  It simply vanished into a darkness above.

“You think you are worthy of my name? I could crush you like an insect, play with you as I desired and yet you demand something when you know not what you’ve done.”

As the demon spoke, Max’s mind raced.

Odds of being able to travel out of here? Like we did with Savantus?

Slim and no doubt it would anger the demon.  I doubt dimensional space would work here either.  Part of me doesn’t believe this is a god though… something feels… off. You and I know the rules of the spell. Sog was kind enough to share more details and we know that we’re safe provided you don’t attack it. Still, the question remains: what kind of demon would have a domain?

“I asked a question, mortal,” the demon growled as Max hovered in mid-air in silence. “Do not make me ask it again.”

“Or what?” Max replied, keeping his face neutral. “The rules of the spell protect me just as they protect you. Unless I attack you, you cannot attack me. If I’m right, I can also end this summoning if I desire it.”

It growled, the sound of it sending lava out in waves, once again its hand coming toward him.  For a moment, Max wasn’t sure what would happen as the hand bigger than a house approached, ready to swat him like a fly. It struck a barrier a few dozen yards from him, sending out a wave of power back at the demon, lava washing around Max and his protective barrier.

Did you see it wince?

I don’t understand these demons… Sog mentioned they are hard-headed and prone to anger, but why would one attack if they know they can’t overcome the spell? Perhaps they hope to manage it somehow. It’s almost as if it doesn’t realize you’re the one who bled and it thinks you just used a drop.

That might explain it. A weaker mage casting that spell with blood beyond their power might be weak enough for it to shatter the spell binding. It’s a shame we’re too strong.

A chuckle echoed inside his skull as Max smiled.

“So it would seem you’re not as strong as you hoped compared to me,” he said, crossing his arms. “Now, if I’m correct and you’ve broken the rules, attempting to attack me, I can end this spell early and take some of your power from you in the process.”

“Fool! You know nothing! I shall show you power!”

The air around Max vibrated as the lava inside the domain turned a hot white. Runes began to appear in the air before the demon as its finger traced them, blue and purple at first before turning black and then a bright white like the liquid below.

Max wanted to laugh as he read the runes. His ability to understand and read most languages provided him a glimpse into what the demon was attempting to do. 

Fire Magic… Lava transformation… Domain shift… Ultimate bath?

Ultimate Burial.

White lava rose up in columns, four of them surrounding him and then creating a dome about thirty yards above.

Laughter echoed around him as the demon lay back its head, chest heaving as it did.

Seconds passed as Max watched and waited, wondering why it continued to laugh as it was.

Is he stalling? No… he’s hoping I give in.

It would appear that you are right… because this is getting awkward.

Max started to laugh, joining in and soon he saw the demon’s head shift slightly, a black eye studying him, before it cut off the noise he made. It leaned forward, frowning as he drew closer.

“You laugh?!” the demon roared. “I could cause this lava to bury you, burning you to a ash and harvesting your soul for myself!”

Max shook his head, ignoring the force of its voice. “No, you can’t. I’m not going to cower. Now tell me your name, or use the Ultimate Burial spell you cast on me.”

The stony skin above its eyes rose as the demon leaned back a little. “You… can read what I wrote?”

“I can,” Max replied. “This is your domain, which means you’ve been granted one by a god. You’re not a god yet, but I would assume you want to be one someday. I don’t know as much as I would desire about the demon kind, but I do know there is one who holds the strings for these kinds of things.  Gykewotik. That’s not you, is it?”

Actual shock appeared as the demon’s mouth opened, black tongue wagging, and a finger shook at him. The white lava began to drip down upon the protective area that Max now knew for certain surrounded him. Immediately, the demon before him began to tremble and it waved its fingers, causing all the lava that was near Max to fly away, stopping the potential deluge that was beginning.

“How can you know that name?! No mortal should know it!”

“Ahh, that’s probably because my demon friend told me. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Sog’thollech.”

Gagging and what appeared to be trouble breathing came from the enormous demon who moved through the lava, sending waves as it did.

“You! You’re him! The one Sog’thhollech bound himself to! The one who freed him from our domain! Where is he?!”

“He’s safe and doing well,” Max replied. “What matters is why you came when I cast the spell and why you felt you could break the rules of it. To do so only exacerbates the consequences of your actions. You do realize who I am, don’t you?”

Max smiled, hovering in mid-air, watching a demon he was certain was the king of the demons from the place Sog had come from shift slightly. 

If you’re right, surely this would be a benefit to us in some way down the road. While I doubt we can simply summon him to do our bidding, having a demon king who owes you a favor and has their own domain is a decently powerful thing.

Ehh… maybe. What kind of god could he fight? I mean, knowledge-wise wise I could see the benefit. Perhaps some trading? I don’t know. I’d have to ask Sog what we would even hope to gain from this relationship. Still, what bothers me more is that we’re standing across from the apparent King. Surely there has to be other demon worlds, realms and other kings. If that is the case, does my spell only pull from one realm?

Something akin to a sigh came from Bob.

You know how much I hate these kinds of questions when neither of us knows for certain. We know that there are nine realms, and each god has one. Just recently, we learned that three gods join together to form a trinity of realms. It would make sense that there are humans, dwarves, demons, elves, dragons, and every other kind of creature in all three groups of gods. Based on that knowledge and how it was said crossing over between realms is difficult, I would agree that we are limited to summoning only from this demon world.

Well I guess we should be thankful we didn’t summon a demon god… Imagine what that would have been like.

Max cleared his throat and smiled.

“Sorry, I was lost in my mind for a moment. Now then, tell me your name and let’s discuss the potential deal that can be made regarding the pact of my spell. Blood has been spilt, the price has been paid and according to the rules of the system, I was granted that chance.”

He narrowed his eyes and frowned, shaking his head slightly at the demon.

“You have now twice–”

“Once!” the demon shouted.

“Twice,” Max said, shaking his head. “Intentional or not, you violated my protective space twice. You know as well as I do the cost that carries, if I am not mistaken, will be handed out by the system and we can only imagine how painful that might be. Now tell me, are you Gykewotik, King of the demons?”

The behemoth before him shuddered, smoke rising from its nostrils as the demon breathed heavily a few times.

“You have spoken my name, even when it was not shared. A name that none speak because of the power it invokes and yet you have done so twice. You must be the one I have been told about. The one who stood before my maker and trapped him in his own game.”

A small smile slowly grew across the enormous face.

“It seems only fitting that I, too, be trapped by the same one who did that. So, holder of a black skill, tell me what must I do to be released from the debt I owe?”

Laughter began to echo inside his head as Bob seemed to be enjoying himself.

What’s so funny?

You Max Hoste. A simple man, a pure heart and one who has now trapped two of the strongest demons and befriended a third. All I can say is we must choose wisely what will consider this debt paid. I doubt we will get many chances to speak with this one again.