Dekan could forever trust the Master.
The good news is that the Warden is gone.
The seventh level has been speed cleared.
The Beautiful Soul Squad can spend Demon Points to reach the eighth level directly.
But the issue is—
Intelligence.
What about the Warden’s intelligence?!
Based on the intelligence gathered from the previous levels, we can only deduce that this ninth-rank Warden is invincible.
The critical intelligence necessary to defeat her must be on the last two levels.
Yet, Dekan hasn’t even reached the seventh level.
This clever one has already killed the Warden.
At this moment, Dekan can somewhat empathize with Fahim’s pain.
Teaming up with this Frenzied Bishop—Krey—is like feeling that he might ruin the situation before you even enter the battleground.
Aside from his somewhat compromised mindset, Dekan feels more confusion now.
He can’t figure out why Krey, a bishop from the Rebirth Church, would go out of his way to clear obstacles for the Challengers.
The Warden of the seventh level—Silent Azkasa—definitely surpasses the strength of an Associate Bishop, probably equivalent to a Bishop-level combatant.
Even the Ice Snow Princess Judith wouldn’t be able to win.
Killing this powerful demon, even for Krey, would cost him half his life.
The apparent lack of injuries on Krey is purely due to his Epic Spell Passive [Super Speed Regeneration].
In fact, Krey’s mana and stamina are far from full.
To the point, it would be easier than originally imagined to restrain Krey, if necessary.
Dekan had thought Krey could be on this level.
But he truly didn’t anticipate Krey would go all out to kill the Warden.
Both from a standpoint and interest perspective, it makes no sense.
Unless Krey realized early on that this eighth-rank Warden possessed extremely critical intelligence, and he intentionally caused the disruption, which slightly aligns with his position.
The price was too great though.
Krey, who is usually free-spirited, doesn’t seem like someone who would work hard for the company’s goal, and Dekan feels Krey lacks the insight and intelligence for such analysis.
“Why did you kill him?”
Dekan asked, full of confusion and anger.
Krey was initially perplexed by the aggressive aura of the Little Succubus, but then confidently replied,
“I gambled with him, but this bastard cheated. Could I let him get away with that?”
As Krey continued, he became increasingly infuriated.
He recalled some infuriating incidents.
He even wanted to give this demon, already dead, two more kicks.
Initially, the seventh level’s Warden—Silent Azkasa—wanted to recruit Krey under his command.
But during a game, Krey’s precise dynamic vision detected the Warden’s cheating.
Krey immediately erupted in anger, punching the Warden with intent, initiating an eighth-rank battle that left the seventh level severely damaged.
Thus, this situation arose.
“…”
Dekan was left speechless.
He wasn’t sure whether to criticize Krey or Warden Azkasa.
What kind of prodigy is this Warden on this level?
For Krey to resort to cheating?
Why couldn’t you just play fairly? Krey would have lost anyway.
And then there’s Krey.
If you say he’s a bit of a fool, he does display some intelligence, clear logic, and reasonable motives.
If you say he has clear thinking, you can’t guess what he’ll do next.
In any case, Dekan would rather see Krey as an opponent rather than a teammate…
“Teaming up with you is like having bad luck for eight lifetimes…”
Dekan held his head, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, and said.
The blood pressure was about to burst.
He now feels it’s better to have a slightly more predictable seventh-rank teammate than someone like Krey with a mind different from ordinary people.
Krey is strong, yet extremely problematic when he causes chaos.
Deadly tactics.
Not to mention the uncertainty of Krey truly fighting the Warden.
Lacking the essential information about the ninth-rank big boss gives Dekan a massive headache.
Besides, Dekan can’t even purchase intelligence about the Warden, let alone anything regarding the eighth level.
Now, Dekan can’t even confirm if the eighth level is a normal layer or an Exile Zone.
If it’s an Exile Zone, that would be worse.
It would mean that the seventh-level Warden held the last piece of crucial intelligence about the Warden!
After this intelligence is permanently lost, there will be no choice but to guess.
All previous intelligence advantages have been turned into huge disadvantages by Krey’s actions.
“Teammate?”
Hearing Dekan’s breakdown, Krey frowned and asked.
Since the beginning, he has felt this demon is somehow strange.
Then, perceiving a few prisoners behind this demon and recalling the intelligence the Man-made Shadow World provided at the start, he seemed to suddenly understand something.
“Are you the Challenger? What’s the time situation now? Share the intelligence with me.”
Krey’s tone softened a little.
He roughly understood that this prison guard was the only “Special Challenger,” while the other prisoners were just normal challengers like himself.
Krey had tried going to the eighth level, but found no passage allowed.
Apparently only a Warden could take him down.
So he has been waiting for a higher-level Challenger to arrive.
“You, will you help us?”
Krey’s reaction surprised Dekan a bit.
Dekan had already planned to subdue Krey.
Or trick Krey into gambling, making him their top fighter by his willingness to honor the bet.
Unexpectedly, Krey was so cooperative.
Shaking his head helplessly, Krey smiled nonchalantly, seemingly unsurprised by being recognized.
“I, Krey, though am the Frenzied Bishop of the Rebirth Church, but whether you are people from the Kingdom Union or Empire, all high-rank Shadow World challengers should know that I have never been passive towards the Shadow World. I have a grudge with the Kingdom Union and don’t wish to harm the innocent.”
Krey proudly stated.
As if declaring his disdain for other bishops and openly revealing his deep resentment towards the Kingdom Union.
Dekan has indeed heard about Krey’s attitude towards Shadow World challenges.
He is the only one who, in the eighth-rank Shadow World, never committed any wrongdoing and seriously tackled the Shadow World.
The Rebirth Church allowed this because they value Krey’s fighting power. As long as he’s the Kingdom Union’s sworn enemy, it’s sufficient.
But the issue doesn’t lie in Krey’s challenge attitude.
What confused Dekan was whether Krey truly couldn’t recognize the enemy.
“Will you swear? That you will do everything in your power to cooperate with us in passing the Shadow World and won’t cause any disruptions due to personal grudges.”
Dekan decided to make Krey solemnly swear before further testing.
“I can. I, Krey, swear to fully cooperate with you in this Shadow World challenge and will not cause any disturbance or harm you due to any standpoint or personal grudge.”
Krey immediately swore.
Dekan nodded in agreement.
Hearing Krey say this, Dekan felt relatively at ease.
He believed that this man’s words were trustworthy.
But Dekan felt even more out of place that Krey didn’t seem to recognize him.
Even if Krey were a fool, he shouldn’t have failed to recognize the resemblance to Dekan.
They clearly looked like twin siblings.
Unless Krey is blind or pretending.
Thus, Dekan tested by waving his hand in front of Krey.
After some time…
Krey didn’t react.
Dekan then held up his middle finger and asked, “What is this?”
Krey: “…” “Can’t see it.”
Krey couldn’t answer.
Dekan finally confirmed.
Krey was indeed blind.
Krey captured their movements earlier purely relying on his perception ability as an eighth-rank warrior and through sound and energy traces.
“What happened to your eyes?”
Dekan asked in bewilderment.
Krey’s extraordinary dynamic vision is one of his strengths; no old cheats can escape his scrutiny.
The Warden’s cheating behavior was exposed by Krey’s keen eyes.
That means Krey went blind not long ago.
“Hmph, this level’s Warden is quite similar to the Silent Bishop, full of annoying sealing spells. Fortunately, this Warden couldn’t use magical cards—his overall combat strength and comprehensiveness were far behind the Silent Bishop, allowing me to quickly defeat him.”
Krey explained.
But even Krey didn’t know that after killing the Warden, the Warden’s death triggered a passive ability, forcibly sealing one of Krey’s senses. It cannot be purified or dispelled.
The vengeful Warden naturally sealed Krey’s most impactful sense: vision.
Surely he also resented Krey’s uncanny dynamic vision.
This uncleanable sealing, impervious to any purification magic from any rank, is tantamount to a god-level blindness curse.
Even with Krey’s [Super Speed Regeneration] or if Chloe could now help Krey treat it, it wouldn’t matter.
Fortunately, the exit mechanism of the Shadow World works similarly to the Man-made Shadow World—all buffs will be automatically cleared upon departure.
So Krey wasn’t too disheartened about going blind.
“Uh…”
Dekan rested his chin on his hand and reflected.
Krey seemed to unintentionally reveal the Silent Bishop’s secrets.
After all, every Warden in the Shadow World seems to vaguely correspond to a real-world power.
Dekan has never heard that the Silent Bishop had a death curse effect.
Of course, this intelligence is unresearchable.
But now, through an unforeseen coincidence, Dekan boldly speculates that killing the Silent Bishop might also result in a severe death curse.
Thus, when dealing with the Silent Bishop in the future, we must first find a method to prepare a scapegoat to land the final blow.
And think about how to extract the residual value after the Silent Bishop’s death.
Subsequently, Dekan began explaining some shareable intelligence to Krey.
Having Krey temporarily become a teammate was far better than Dekan expected.
Because it skipped a major hassle—
Issues of grudges.
The current Krey really hasn’t noticed nor can’t recognize them as the Beautiful Soul Squad.
Although Dekan is still somewhat irritated by Krey’s behavior as a clumsy teammate.
Thinking positively, it saved time.
Reexamining the situation on the seventh level.
Dekan was lost in thought.
Had Krey not killed the Warden, he wouldn’t be blind. If Krey weren’t blind, he wouldn’t avoid so much trouble.
It feels like a case of unintended benefit.
So far, Krey’s motives have been well-reasoned, almost too reasonable.
But each of Krey’s operations unexpectedly helped Dekan.
Dekan isn’t sure whether it’s sheer luck, the law of causality, or if Krey is a true strategist.
It couldn’t possibly all fall within Krey’s calculation.
Dekan can’t help but begin speculating.
But upon reflection, he decides to quit.
Diabolizing Krey feels kinda foolish.
…
Accepting the fact that the seventh level has been quickly passed, the group didn’t waste much time, preparing and quickly moved to the eighth level.
Meeting Krey in a different way, the Beautiful Soul Squad surprisingly found Krey surprisingly amiable.
Though, due to the differing team philosophies and corporate cultures with Krey, he oddly doesn’t quite fit in.
Upon entering the portal, their vision darkened, and they began falling in what felt like a descending elevator, accelerating uncontrollably.
This heart-pounding speed, coupled with a chilling, gloomy coldness, made normal breathing much harder.
“Was the teleportation portal in the previous levels like this?!”
Krey shouted loudly.
Even Krey felt this portal was weird!
“No! The previous portals were peaceful! Something is off with the eighth level! Be on alert!”
With Dekan’s shout, amidst the nearly suffocating dark current, they finally reached the end.
[Deception Jail]
[This level of the prison is the Exile Zone, where Wardens and Prison Guards can fight each other.]
[The Warden will strictly enforce the rules and not preemptively attack the Wardens.]
[Only demons can move freely on this level; other races will be sealed by the accumulated Demon King’s Power through the generations.]
[Here, at the Demon King’s Tomb, no lies or deceit are allowed.]
[To go to the ninth level, no Demon Points are required.]
[Warning]
[The portal is outside the protected area, already entering the eighth level.]
In the moment Dekan saw the statement “Non-demonic races will be sealed” along with the “Warning content,” he felt a horrifying and irresistible magical power, like numerous black snakes, climb up his body from his feet.
Even though Dekan had disguised himself as a Little Succubus,
This was merely an illusion—his true race is human!
He didn’t have time to call for the Master before he was about to be sealed.
“Old…”
He instantly lost sensation in his body, time seemed to freeze, and his consciousness froze.
But just as the seal was about to reach his eyes,
His round eyes’ pupils changed.
The blue demonic pupils transformed into a more sacred golden demonic pupils.
Even if Dekan’s outward appearance currently still resembled a succubus, no demon would consider him as such upon seeing him now.
Without question, this is the most superior, purest, most original demon.
“Phew—”
The seal on Dekan’s body faded away like water, and his consciousness returned.
He felt as if he had returned from the brink of death, catching his breath.
Thanks to the Master.
She helped him out immensely.
Tarlomati, sharing the same heart and mind with Dekan, seemed to foresee this level’s rules at the most critical moment, urgently seizing Dekan’s body, transforming him into a demon.
Turning back, Dekan looked at his companions,
All had been transformed into statue-like beings by the Demon King’s Power.
Even the mighty Krey only lasted a little longer before being entirely sealed.
Surely, on this level, the Dark Saintess would also be sealed similarly.
If Dekan had also been sealed, it would have all been over.
Thankfully, he possesses the skill to demonize.
As Dekan prepared his mindset to face the challenges of this level,
He suddenly felt his heart becoming increasingly uneasy.
“Master?”
This wasn’t caused by Dekan’s emotions.
It was the Master.
She had returned the bodily control to Dekan after helping him demonize.
But only partially, as complete demonization required their joint effort.
At this point, they’re sharing consciousness, perception, and bodily control.
“Master, what’s wrong?”
Dekan could feel the usually composed Master had clearly become unsettled and a little disoriented.
The Master’s thoughts were tinged with some worry and confusion:
“DeKan, I… seem to have a memory of this place…”
