Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

A newfound sense of confidence and power emanated from him, infusing him with certainty and conviction. Yet, beneath the surface of Simon's newfound confidence lurked a sense of arrogance that bordered on hubris.

It was a trait born of his newfound power, a belief that he was destined for greatness and that none could stand in his way. What's more this trait only seemed to grow as time passed, fueling his desire and arrogance.

Although it was not completely apparent yet, nonetheless, it was still there. Of course, these profound changes were wrought by the two fragments of pride that now resided within him.

These profound changes weren't apparent to the person it occurred to; however, to others around him, especially to his subordinates who knew him from before, his changes were crystal clear.

Nevertheless, they weren't repelled or driven off by it instead, they embraced his newfound changes with open arms, revelling in the darkness that now coursed through his veins as his new side.

No matter what or who he became, one fact did not change, and that was that he was their master and lord. As long as that fact remained, his subordinates would continue to follow him no matter what became of him with time.

As she looked at the side profile of her master, Bea clenched her hand, finding his new side weirdly enigmatic.

The next instant, her eyes glared at the woman on the other side of him who was also looking at Simon with stars in her eyes. It was obvious that she fancied him and his current demeanour enamoured her.

"It will take them some time for them to return back with their full force. I will send someone to monitor the situation on this floor. Until then, let us return back"

Saying that Simon was just about to teleport the three of them when...

"Master, please return first. I will go with Melinda to the new Harpy floor to talk about some matters" Bea suddenly stated. Her eyes glanced towards the other party who nodded their head too.

"Lord Simon, Bea and I have some important matters to talk about. I will see you off here".

When Simon heard that, his eyes swivelled between Bea and Melinda. These two who couldn't live without insulting one another for even a second, have something important that they need to discuss?

How could that be? It would already be a miracle if they could stand quietly without turning the floor upside down. Nevertheless, with them having spoken their mind, all he could do was return on his own and pray that they wouldn't get into another fight and almost destroy his floors.

Swoosh… a light flashed and Simon's figure instantly disappeared. Now that he was gone, the two women turned to face each other. Space seemed to instantly freeze as they silently glared at each other.

"He is gone. Speak, what is it that you wanted to say to me?" Melinda folded her arms, her bountiful chest moulded under the pressure of her arms.

Looking at her giving off extreme allure that was fatal for any man, Bea couldn't help but snort.

"Don't think that I don't know your intentions".

"Oh, you do? Good for you" Melinda casually remarked.

"Be as concieted as you want right now but let me tell you this. Seducing Master is impossible for the likes of you. And even if we ignore the fact that he won't fall for you, he already has Miss Irene. She won't like what you are trying to do right now" Bea's words contained a faint threat.

"Oh?" Melinda's eyebrows arched for a second; nevertheless, she quickly hid it "I am aware of that. I know my limits, I am not trying to anger her or anything"

"That aside, you are quite sly yourself, aren't you? You use the excuse of Mistress Irene; however, aren't you in the same boat as me? Don't think that I don't know. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you are pining for him too"

"With his limitless potential and undeniable charisma, he is a prize coveted by many. His confidence that borders on arrogance and his knowledge that gives him an air of mystery, it strokes at other's desires making him even more appealing. Such a splendid man, even if you search the whole world, you won't find many like him. Even I'm reluctant to give up on him"

A look of yearning appeared on her face.

Seeing her and hearing her passionate words, Bea burned in jealousy. She was just about to speak when.

"Don't bother, I know what you are going to say. Don't worry, I know what I should be doing and not. As far as I know, you are in the same boat too. The enemy is close, let us focus on them first. We can talk about romance after that"

Saying that, Melinda too teleported to her floor. Leaving Bea to sort out her own emotions.

.

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Deep inside the Western Region of the Ghastly Winding Forest was a vast woodland filled with various kinds of exotic plants, floras and faunas. They released a sweet scent in the air capable of attracting all kinds of beings.

Thick mist covered the area year long and the mana here was very dense thanks to the many mystical veins that ran through the ground. The place was extremely beautiful and refreshing and almost looked like a paradise.

However, make no mistake, this place was no paradise but one of the most dangerous areas in the entire Ghastly Winding Forest.

Inhabited by carnivorous plants, insects and monsters, the place was like a venous fly trap, inviting the gullible victim to prey on them. That said, it was not the presence of countless carnivorous plants and monsters that made the place so dangerous but rather what was inside.

Deeper inside the territory lay an ancient ruin covered by thick foliage and algae. If one looked carefully at the trees that grew here they would be able to notice that these tall ancient giants were none other than Mana Trees.

They released dense amount of mystical energy causing the place to be covered in mist all year round. Further inside, there was an enormous temple with a craftsmanship that dazzled one's eyes.

Even though a part of it had collapsed, it still looked quite grand and its former glory was yet to diminish even though hundreds or even thousands of years had passed.

What set the temple apart from the numerous buildings here other than its craftsmanship was the numerous sparkling crystals that hung down from the many trees like stars in the sky.

These crystals releasing soft radiant blue light was none other than Mana crystals and the trees that pieced the dome of the temple were none other than Trees of Mana Crystals.

Given the astonishing sight, it was clear that the temple was the most important site of this place. And in fact, it was. The temple was the place where the King of the Black Ogres, Gil-Garna resided and this was exactly the territory of the Black Ogres.

At this moment, inside the temple, walking past the hallway which was filled with gold, artefacts, mana stones, mana crystals and mystical fruits and various other treasures, one would arrive in front of a gigantic hall, characterised by the huge carcass of an ancient beast that lay there.

The enormous carcass enclosed a pond in the centre where a beguiling and strange flower grew once upon a time. However, at this moment the pond was empty and it was no longer the colour of blood.

Walking past the pond, there was a passageway that led further inside the temple.

"It looks like Gish-Bagh's suspicions were correct. Gish-Bor went to the territory of the harpies the other day and found the place completely deserted"…

"Hoh, so the queen of the harpies really did betray us. If she has decided to go against us, then she would definitely ally herself with the demon. I suspect that she took her clansmen into his dungeon".

Voices came from inside the other end of the passageway which opened up into a vast open ground filled with all kinds of exotic plants and trees.

At the centre of this place, lay a large table where two people facing each other, were seated. Around them, were numerous figures standing upright and tall like a sword. Their auras were restrained as they stood there like a mannequin without making the slightest movements.

However, just based on the faint presence that they released, it was enough to tell others that they were no weak level beings. In fact, each and every being present inside the place possessed a strong presence.

Nonetheless, no matter how powerful they were, they had to still restrain their aura in front of the two beings seated around the table.

"Suspect or not, it is already clear that she has allied with the demon and has relocated her clansmen into his dungeon"

The one to speak was a man with a blazing crimson hair. He had a long violet coloured horn protruding from his forehead and carried a huge Khyber looking blade wrapped in straps to his side.

The man was fairly tall, standing well above six feet and looked extremely human like. Even the expressions and demeanour were no different than an average human. Novel Fire - novelfire.net

That said, make no mistake, the man was no human but the king of one of the fiercest races on this world. The king of the Black ogres, Gil-Garna.