The Arch Demon looks at me, filled with curiosity once again.
"You really know nothing of the inner workings of the Demonic Realm? How far away from the capital were you born?"
I don't react to the question, and lift the red shimmering fragment of divine energy in front of the demon's face.
It stares into the beautiful glowing crystal full of vibrating divine threads, but judging by its expression, it has no idea what it is.
Eventually, the Demon responds.
"What... is that?"
My gaze tightens, and I let the fragment fall back into my item storage, but I notice the silent earth dragon behind the demon, its eyes widening, and a spike of surprise and quickened heartbeat make me believe it knows exactly what I just showed.
"Never mind. Just tell me about these Red Core Demonic Knights."
After a moment of silence, as I don't feel the need to respond, the demon continues to speak.
"Well... if you don't know about the knights, then you're truly a demon lost from society. You must have been raised far out in the Rift Lands..."
The Demon scratches his head in confusion, then looks up at the ceiling, as if trying to structure his thoughts.
"Well... I guess we can just start at the beginning. If you're a demon born in the capital, the only way to survive, grow, and earn your keep is by joining the army, diving into rifts that lead to mana-rich worlds. Sure, you could challenge the native demonic monsters of the realm to grow stronger, but they won't level up your mana-based system, which is more valuable for demons that want to apply for Labyrinth contracts."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Labyrinth contracts?"
The Demon smiles.
"Yes, just like the contract we made when you summoned me here. I had to train and level up for quite a long time before coming to this world. If I'd accepted a contract as a level one demon, the first human to challenge this construct would have killed me before I had a chance to fight back... It's an unspoken law that demons should at least rise from Fledgling to Greater before even considering applying for Labyrinth contracts. Many wait until they become Arch Demons even..."
A word sticks out to me, so I ask another question.
"You said construct... The Labyrinth is a construct?"
"Of course. It's merely another function of the system. They cost mana and activation stones to create, in the same proportions as a dungeon would. They are mana-based pocket worlds created for energy collection. All of the monsters inside are nothing more than rented avatars. Demons and dragons are the only ones truly putting their lives on the line here. Though, we get the highest potential reward at the end of it."
I open my mouth, but no words come out while I process his words.
The Demon continues.
"Like I said before, once a demon manages to pass the first test, growing a labyrinth to its mature state, they're able to bring the siphoned mana back to the demonic realm and offer it to one of the five great families of their choosing. That, or they can roam the world they've completed their contract in as a free and powerful Arch Demon..."
He pauses, then smiles.
"There is no greater height an Arch Demon can climb than joining the personal army of one of the five Great Families... This is why I'm continuously confused by your claim that you're not a part of any of them... The prestige that comes with even joining the outer ranks as subordinates of the Red Core Demonic Knights is enough to live like a king and set up your family with generational wealth and power."
I nod, as the Demonic Realms hierarchy is beginning to make sense in my mind.
"How many Red Core Knights are there, and what do they do exactly? Are the families at war? Are there forces in the demonic realm that attack often? Or...?"
Pluto thinks to himself.
"In the capital, there hasn't been conflict for thousands of years. The demonic beasts that roam our realm are no match for the Red Core Demonic Knights. Ascended Arch Demons are truly on another level than all other demons and beasts... I—"
He looks at me timidly for a moment.
"—I'm sure you already knew this, being one yourself... I've never actually met one in person, other than a few glances at the Vermillion Family's public ceremonies when I was a Fledgling. I did get a glimpse of their 116th Red Core squad. It was led by a single Orange Core Commander, truly a magnificent sight. I could feel the demonic realm bending to their will with every step they took, even dozens of kilometers away."
These words seal the deal in my mind. The 'Ascended Demons' he speaks of are definitely divine core holders. By the sound of it, considering a single family has squads of these red cores that are numbered into the hundreds, there are truly an unfathomable amount of them in the demonic realm.
It makes me both uneasy and excited in the same breath.
Pluto continues to speak.
"Above the Orange Core Commanders, there are Yellow Generals, but I've never seen one with my own eyes. My family is not well-connected to any of the five Great Families, so this is really the true extent of my knowledge..."
I reply with another question.
"What about the family leaders? Who leads these Yellow Generals? You said there are other Demon Lords once when we first met... Where are they? Will they be coming to claim this throne too?"
The Demon shakes his head.
"I already told you I don't know much more... The families keep many things secret other than sprinkling hints among the public on how to join their ranks, giving us the tools to farm mana for the family of our choosing. More will be explained the higher we climb."
I become rather disappointed by his response, but it does make sense. Considering the day I met him, he only had a few hundred levels and was a very newly awakened Arch Demon. It's rather absurd for me to believe he knows everything about his home kingdom's inner workings.
It would be like asking a random new dungeon farmer in the Crimson City about the powers of the inner circle or how The Flame Emperor got so strong. Many of them don't even know I exist; they're merely linked through a small thread of loyalty they subconsciously gave into, allowing them to enter through the Crimson Dome.
I click my tongue and nod.
"Understandable... What you've provided is already a great help—"
To my surprise, the earth dragon speaks up through a three-way telepathy link, allowing me to hear its slow, deep voice for the first time.
"You will not have to worry about other Demon Lords challenging the throne. Once an Ascended Arch Demon claims a world of their own, they never return to this realm. Many call them Green Core Lords. They are able to give orders through the five noble houses' thrones, but not even the Yellow Generals have seen the other Lords in the flesh."
My eyes widen at the dragon's words, as even more pieces of this massive puzzle fit together. I reply with another question.
"Where do dragons fit into all of this...? How do you know this knowledge? Last time I visited, you were still in your egg."
My gaze tightens as I search for a divine core hiding within this creature to make sense of its knowledge, but there is nothing—it is made purely of mana.
The slow reply through the telepathy link reaches my ears a few moments later.
"It is a complicated explanation. For context you must understand that Demons and dragons have always been intertwined within the system; dragons being the transcendent force of nature that is a catalyst for events to occur. Think of us as the final building block that holds the very fabric of these large system-based structures together. Without mana, we would not exist. Without bonding with a dragon, demons could not create labyrinths. The same goes for claiming the throne. One could have all of the building blocks to create a masterpiece, but without the glue, it is merely worthless material."
I try to understand his words, but it is a bit too abstract. I reply with a questioning gaze.
"How does that give you the knowledge of the past, if you were born here and never left this boss room...?"
I see the earth dragon grin for the first time as he responds.
"Dragons are all born with innate knowledge and shared memories of their ancestors... We are a collective, forever bonded with our Demonic Energy wielding counterparts. The amount of knowledge from other dragon's past lives that is shared is unlocked and sent into our conscious minds more as we grow and become strong enough to add to the pool. We all share and grow the knowledge of the system together. That is, except for the Fallen One..."
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