Even though she had benefited from Amon's care, Hella was still a little shocked by the murderous aura of Sins, so she lay in the chair for a while longer to recover from this bad encounter. As for Amon, he had understood the situation well and suspected that a simple human could rarely support such a powerful and evil mana. He decided to let her rest for a while before starting the conversation.
- I hope you feel better now, here, drink some more water.
Amon said, holding up a glass of water that he conjured from nowhere.
- Thank you!
Hella replied, taking the glass of water.
- Well, if that's okay, then let's move on. Learning magic was part of your requirements, but it also happened to be part of the steps I had planned for your mission. After all, in this world everything is ruled by force and force depends on magic, so mastering it is essential for you to rule and succeed in your mission. If you want, we can start right now. Besides, it will protect you from this kind of situation if you should ever have to face us and believe me, it will surely happen whether it is in the dungeon or outside.
- What the other one did earlier, was that magic?
- More or less. You just felt his murderous urge intensified by his mana. Sins is a demon king. His power is colossal and few people, especially those with low mana, can keep a straight face in front of him. But then again, if his mana didn't affect you more than that then I guess...
- Yes? What?
- Nothing! (Laughs) If you learn magic, you won't have to worry about this kind of thing. But tell me, aren't you afraid?
- Of course I am, but do I still have a choice?
- No, you don't!
- So help me cope with this kind of thing and that's it.
Answer hella with confidence.
- So be it! I wish you to stay strong until the end.
Amon said before asking Hella to stand up so he could proceed with his mana initiation. Hella stood up in front of Amon with an ominous and somewhat fearful look on her face.
Amon then put his right hand on the young woman's head before transferring a small amount of mana into her head.
At that very moment, hella had a headache. She took a few steps backwards, holding her head as if in pain. The more time passed, the more she seemed to be in pain and soon, little by little, a yellow mana began to come out of her body in the form of steam. Amon remained calm and unresponsive to the scene of hella crouching on the ground holding her head in pain. He didn't move an inch as he watched hella suffer silently with tears in her eyes.
But the feeling of pain did not last long and soon faded away as if it had never existed. Immediately hella came to her senses and stood up. The pain she had been feeling had completely disappeared so she wiped away her tears before noticing the yellow mana her body was giving off. She was so amazed by it that she smiled with a look of great surprise and amazement.
- So this is magic? it's strange, I feel like an unsuspected strength awakening in me, I've never felt so... confident in my life.
This was the effect Amon was looking for and then he spoke.
- What you see here is nothing but raw mana. Basically it's just simple energy without any association of spells or skills. To master it, you just have to desire it and that's all.
- Are you sure, because now I feel invincible. And I feel like I can turn everything off with a gesture. Hella proclaimed.
Amon was at first surprised by this statement. For even if one becomes stronger after awakening, such a statement clearly implied anomalies. He asked Hella to explain to him what she really felt, what she meant by "I can turn everything off". Even though she didn't quite understand what was going on, Hella tried to explain how she felt about saying such a thing.
After that, Amon came to a conclusion with a reassuring look.
- I understand, you've just developed some unique skills. It often happens when an exceptional being is awakened. That makes me feel better because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to use magic because you're not from our world.
- So it's not an anomaly?
Not really! These things happen. Now that you have mana, you can now learn magic and even acquire other skills, but that said, to lead this dungeon, you will need enormous power and this can normally only be acquired through a very rigorous daily training that can last several hundred years. But fortunately, I know how to avoid this problem, well it's rather sins who had the idea...well when you talk about the wolf.
Before Amon had even finished his sentence, sins had contacted him telepathically, announcing the end of his preparations.
- Well, we can move on to the second stage. Please come to me, Lady Hella.
- Lady?
she asked, before moving close enough to Amon that he could take her in his arms again. Magical symbols appear in a circle around them, a bright light follows and teleports them both to another room in the dungeon.
Just as large as the previous one, it was darker with a few lamps hanging on the walls to illuminate the room just a little. In the very centre of the room, just in front of Amon and Hella who had just teleported in, was Sins.
- Lord Amon, Lady Hella...
he said in a sign of respect.
- Well, let's get started! Said Amon.
- Please follow me. replied Sins.
Even though she said she had overcome her fear, Hella was still fearful of Sins, so she moved as close as possible to Amon while keeping an eye on Sins. The three of them walked towards a large door at the back of the room.
This one was exceedingly huge and seemed very hard and locked. But it was only a gesture from Amon, clapping his hands, that the door opened by itself in front of them. It was a huge empty room, well lit by a large lamp hanging from the ceiling which illuminated the room with its brilliance.
Amon and sins did not hesitate for a moment to go through this strange door, while hella did not seem very reassured. But more than fear it was the excitement of discovering what was hidden in this room that made her tremble. Amon, who was walking a few steps ahead of her, stopped suddenly and turned to Hella, telling her to look carefully at what was about to appear.
Amon then uttered a series of sentences which were incomprehensible to Hella but which were in fact invocation formulas. When he had finished, he put his hand on the floor, and the room was immediately filled with luminous symbols from the floor to the ceiling and the walls. In the centre was a cross symbol within a circle which was the only one to glow scarlet while the others all glowed white.
At the very centre of the magic circle, a glass rose appeared, several metres tall, in which boiling magma could be seen.
The rose seemed to be rooted to the ground and the symbols on the walls seemed to be its extensions. In front of such a spectacle, Hella remained stunned and shocked when Amon addressed her, saying
- this is the heart of the dungeon.
This statement was most astonishing for Hella who asked for an explanation, which Amon did not refuse.
- I told you, one of the reasons why you are here, is also to become the master of this dungeon while I am recovering? but who do you think is the master of a dungeon
- But who do you think is the master of a dungeon, the one who runs it? Answer Hella .
- Yes and no! Well, I'll explain it to you. What you see there is the heart of the dungeon and the master of the dungeon is none other than the guard of this heart. So not necessarily the strongest creature. That said, not everyone can become the keeper of the heart because only those who are not subject to the dungeon can become the keeper of its heart. As such, Sins, as well as all the other creatures that reside here, cannot claim this position. At least not while I am alive. Normally, the master of the dungeon raises a creature to succeed him when he dies, but I haven't raised a successor, I'm not ready to bow out yet. Do you understand better?
- Yes, I understand, since I am not subject to the dungeon either, I can become the guardian of the heart.
- Well, if you understand, let's move on!
After this exchange, Amon uttered another formula, in response to which a parameter appeared in the void as a hologram. Amon put his hand on it before saying
- I give up.
Immediately the whole building began to shake. The luminous symbols all went out and the magma inside the glass rose evaporated into the air, giving way to a crystal clear liquid.
Amon turned back to Hella
- I have relinquished my charge as Keeper of the Heart along with my title as Master of Amon's Keep. Now go forth and take my place.
Sins conjured up a mana mat at Hella's feet to help her lift herself up by the rose. Hella was both impressed and surprised by Amon's gesture of giving up his title without a doubt, "Was it because he trusts me to succeed in the mission or does he have other ideas in mind?
After a moment's hesitation, she finally climbed onto the carpet that led her over the rose.
- Now you have to cut your veins to pour a large amount of blood inside the rose, until the liquid changes colour.
Amon said, addressing Hella.
The latter followed the instructions and cut the veins of both hands, which she raised above the flower to let her blood flow inside the rose. Contrary to what she expected, the act required a lot of blood before the clear and calm liquid started to boil and take on the colour of blood.
It bubbled up as if lava was about to flow out of it. Hella, who had lost a lot of blood, collapsed to her knees on the mana mat. She then took a moment to catch her breath and calm down before noticing that the clear water, which had changed colour to blood red and was bubbling like lava, had calmed down. But above all, it was almost back to its original colour.
This fact frightened Hella, who feared that the operation had failed. So she stood up abruptly, dropping the knife in her hand that had been used to slice her veins into the liquid in the glass rose. The knife began to melt as soon as it came into contact with the liquid, a terrifying sight for Hella, who turned to Amon. But Amon reassured her that the mission was successful and asked Sins to bring her down. To clarify what had happened Sins brought a thesis.
- This is the first time I have witnessed an appointment, but there is an old rumour that during the ceremony, the liquid in the flower reflected the soul of the heart keeper. When I look at my lord Amon, I think that the magma reflected his soul as a warrior, so the acid would be a reflection of your soul, lady or rather mistress Hella.
Sins' statement was meant to be clarifying, but Hella was still frustrated that her soul was being compared to acid.
She gave Sins a cold, icy look before moving on. The wounds on her arms were healed by Amon and while Hella looked for any change by looking at all sides of her body, Sins and Amon seemed more concerned as they glared at her when
- It's over already? I thought it was going to be harder than this. I don't really feel any change!
Hella said with an indifferent look as Amon replied
- No! It's going to start now!
Surprised, Hella asked Amon why. But as soon as she asked her question, she was struck by an unbearable pain. She took a few steps backwards, holding and clutching both shoulders. Blood was coming out of her eyes, her nostrils, her mouth, her ears and every orifice of her body. The pain was such that she could not scream or move. She seemed to be totally paralysed and was in agony. Finally, she fainted and fell backwards in her own blood.
Amon looked at the scene with indifference before addressing Sins
- Bring her quickly before it's too late!
- Right now!
Sins declared, before carrying Hella in his arms and teleporting away.
As for Hella, she woke up in a dark place she had never seen before. A light appeared behind her and when she turned around, she noticed the glass rose but in miniature, just lying on the floor like normal glass. A voice spoke to her
- To you who covet. To you who desires. To you who dares. I accept you! Take what is now your responsibility!
No explanation was needed for Hella to understand that this message was addressed to her. Having quickly grasped the meaning. She walked over to the glass rose, plucked it from the ground and held it firmly with both hands. The glass began to shatter before it began to fluidize in her hand and then penetrate her body.
After that she woke up again in another room of the dungeon, her body was immersed in some kind of goo forming a large bubble suspended in the air. When she woke up, she burst the bubble, scattering the goo all over the room before landing on her legs. Her naked body was covered in goo and her mana, which at first looked like yellow water vapour, had taken on a whole new dimension. The mana that was now emanating from her body was abysmally powerful and dark, mixing the colours yellow and black.
- I can feel it...the heartbeat of the dungeon...its breath...its presence...and its immense power running through my body, it's fantastic.
she pronounced with a satisfied look.
- You have finally woken up Mistress Hella.
Sins, who was in the room, said.
- You've been unconscious for 10 days. We were beginning to worry.
- I've never felt better! Ella replies.
- I'm so glad!
- Where is Amon?
- He's waiting for you in the throne room. You should go and see him as soon as possible. I have prepared an outfit for you, I will leave it with you and retire if you allow me.
- No, stay. You are going to help me to dress since it is you who prepared my outfit!
- So be it!
After dressing, Hella joined Amon in the throne room. He was sitting on the steps leading to the throne and seemed to be waiting for Hella to return.
- I see that you have been accepted with flying colours! Amon said.
- Please, next time let me know before you do something like this. I thought I was going to die and that's a pretty bad feeling.
Hella replied.
- I'll do it! You are right. I should have warned and explained what was going to happen next before I started. In that case, come closer. I'll tell you the next step!
- What, again? Does it ever end?!
- This is the last step and maybe the hardest.
- And what does it consist of?
- Well, it's simple, you're going to submit the ten most powerful creatures in the dungeon.
This revelation provoked a feeling of fear, terror, worry and excitement in hella, who remained pensive for a moment before smiling. Amon then added
- But first, I'm going to give you my magical knowledge as well as some of the weapons from my personal inventory. With that, you should be fine then... Come here!
As he had said, Amon passed on his knowledge and weapons to Hella before telling her what the last step was really about.
- I already told you, but a dungeon contains a certain amount of monsters of all kinds. These monsters are not only hostile to intruders but also to each other. They devour each other without restraint so it's hard to keep them all under control. That's when we, the most powerful and intelligent creatures, came up with the idea of a landing system. Amon's dungeon is one hundred stories high and each ten stories forms a tier which is led by one of ten tier masters. As such, they are by far the strongest creatures in the dungeon and if you want to control the entire dungeon, you will have to subdue them all.
- Wait a second, I thought when I became the heart keeper, I would officially be the new boss.
- Of course you were! You're the boss of the dungeon, but not the inhabitants.
- How's that?
- Creatures can live in a dungeon without having sworn to the master. So you can't make demands on them, so you'll have to subdue them in any way you can. But don't worry, that was also planned. The easiest way is to simply submit all ten masters. Once this is done, all the creatures of the level they are responsible for will also be submitted to you. As we speak, they are preparing to come to us. I have asked Sins to summon them all. Come with me and we will welcome them properly.
- It's too complicated, but let's go.
Hella replies with a serene air.
With that, Amon asked Sins to call the ten landlords. Amon and Hella stand next to the throne while Sins stands a little in front of them. Sins then spoke
- Well, you may enter!
When the order was given, the great, huge, majestic door of the throne room opened into a dark corridor. The sound of footsteps grew louder and louder, as a monster of more than 3 meters appeared. He was green and scantily clad with a large chain on his body carrying a huge Massu on his shoulder. He walked up to Amon and knelt down in front of Amon. On arrival he was introduced by Sins as
- Master of the first level, the level of Assu and leader of the ogres, here is Sir Assu!
After that, the guardians followed one another, from the weakest, the first level, to the strongest, the last level. They were all presented by Sins as follows:
- Masters of the second level: the death knell, lord deathbook, the undead mage king!
- After a raid a few months ago on the third tier, the master who resided there was killed, so this tier does not have a master yet!
- The master of the fourth level, called the carnival of the demons is none other than myself, sins the demon king to serve you!
Strangely enough, this statement of Sins surprised Hella a lot but she did not do anything more and let the ceremony continue.
- Master of the fifth floor, the ghost floor, I present to you Sir Black Wolf. In the absence of a name I describe his most blatant characteristic.
Indeed, it was a gigantic black wolf of several meters. A real predator whose gaze did not show any form of sentimentality.
- Mistress of the sixth level: the valley of the end, lady Disna holleimina del Medusa .
This invocation was answered by a gigantic snake woman with hair made of snake, the upper part human and the lower part snake, wearing a black blindfold that hid her eyes. She moved forward to stand in line as Sins continued her introductions.
- Mistress of the seventh tier: the flower garden, Lady Luminus.
She was represented by several fireflies, projecting a blue light and forming a large swarm in the room.
- Master of the eighth level: the dragon's entrance, dangrezid... Unfortunately, I cannot pronounce the rest of his name.
As his name indicated, he was a great white dragon as huge as the wolf or the Gorgon. He also came to stand in line without anything more.
Master of the ninth floor: the black room, the knight of darkness. I don't know his name either.
It is indeed a knight in a black armor that covers him completely. His height was about 10 meters high and his horse was not to be outdone. Just like the others, he also came to letter in line without any other formality. Sins then continued his presentation with the last one.
- As for the master of the last floor... well.... he is sleeping!
A piece of information that didn't even surprise Amon who replied with
- It doesn't matter. Anyway, it wouldn't have made any difference. Even if he was awake, he wouldn't have come anyway. In the end, it suits us that he's sleeping because he's not going to wake up tomorrow.
The other masters were all gathered before Amon. The tension was palpable in the room, with a dead silence reigning. And Hella felt it strongly. Amon turned to Hella and said
- Hella...it's time.