Chapter 187: Hunger of the Hungry Deep
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The party atmosphere felt a bit annoying for me, but it was not their fault that they were celebrating someone's birthday. Not a second after the crack closed behind me, Lady Belphegor walked over to me slowly, swaying in her steps, putting a hand on my shoulder, and gently rubbing my neck.
She bit her lip and giggled. "My bloodline ability, Crack, can do something similar. Incredible that you can pull that off without any bloodline…"
"Hey, hey, Aqua~" Rias jumped into a hug, and we exchanged a short greeting. Canceling the hug, I looked back at our host.
"It's whatever, most Gods who matter can do the same," I said, which was only half true. Most Gods who mattered were ones with an Icon, and even among those with an Icon, spatial control of this level wasn't anything short of a miracle. Unless the said Icon was a spacetime type, for example, the incredibly rare Void Icon.
My prior experience with spacetime just gave me a greater edge, and being a Sage with access to the Time Icon helped too.
"Most Gods who matter are only the Chief Gods, my sweetheart," Lady Belphegor said, smiling at me. "If you're saying you're on their rank, which I believe you are based on the many rumors, it's not 'whatever', you dummy. Come, drink with me."
There were a lot of eyes on us, but not all of the devils bothered to spare me a look. Some of them were busy flirting and dancing with one another. I found it a little surprising that there was no open sex going on here; I'd have expected that from a devil party. I guess that went as far as to show how noble this woman was, despite being a devil with a flirty nature. She kept things quite professional and stayed in line.
"Then," she raised a cup for me and I accepted it, followed by a clink from her cup. She raised her cup and cleared her voice. "We have an honorable guest, everyone. Let us share a drink in his name. But since he doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy this atmosphere, please allow me to tend to him."
Smart woman. She deduced I don't like this place from the few minutes I have been here. And she also knew a lot of devils would approach me, mostly women given my face, so she pushed them back to keep me for herself.
Roygun Belphegor was a scammer in the Rating Games, and although she was only a Satan class by using a cheat power, it was undeniable that she was smart and noble.
I shared a sip with her, and all the other guests did the same. They returned to their usual partying, while a few whispered among one another to ask around who I was. At that moment, I also caught the attention of some familiar faces.
"Aqua~!" Akeno was on a couch of her own, far from the one Belphegor was sitting at earlier, from where she waved at me. Beside her, Koneko sat, eating a piece of cake. I waved at them, while noticing Kiba Yuuto, being approached by women and politely denying them. There was also Saji, who was having a harder time denying the thirsty devil ladies.
Meanwhile, Lady Belphegor led me to a couch. I sat down, and Rias sat down beside me, though it's more accurate to say she sat on my lap the way she was clinging to me.
"You smell good today," she said, her arms wrapped around mine.
"Thank you. You smell great too." I leaned over and inhaled her nape, her sweaty hair that stuck to her skin. She smelled lovely, with a tint of alcohol. I left a kiss on her nape before I faced her again. She smiled at me, her cheeks red.
"Hey~ there are people~" She said that, but it was clear as day that she loved that. She loved me giving her a highlight in front of Miss Belphegor, who's been eyeing me quite openly. If Rias was feeling a little threatened, all of it vanished in thin air and she put her arms all the way around me.
Lady Belphegor giggled at that, but the interested look in her eyes didn't vanish even after seeing that her junior was into me. She was sitting on my other side, but there was a gap between our bodies, unlike Rias.
After eyeing us for a second longer, she said, "Since you're quite busy, from what Rias told me, I'll keep it short. I'm curious, why do you wish to visit the Ten Thousand Black Dragon Mountain Range? As the Head of the Belphegor Clan, I need to make sure I'm not letting in a troublemaker."
"No need to worry about that. And if I do end up causing a little double, I'm sure Lady Belphegor and I can reach an agreement," I flirted with a smile, watching her laugh as her face grew red and she bit her lip. No way, what was she imagining right now?
I wasn't in the mood for flirting, but it didn't hurt to keep a good relationship with this woman. If a lady wanted you, why not use that to your advantage?
"Ahhn, and it's my birthday too," Lady Belphegor slumped against the couch, her head resting backward. She looked full of regret. Then, she said out loud, without any shame, and a deep glint of lust in her deep yellow eyes, "I'd have loved to have you in my chambers tonight. What a pity, indeed."
Rias flinched a little but failed to say anything. Truthfully, she had no right to say; in the end, the two of us hadn't officially done anything. I had three girlfriends, while she and I hadn't even slept together. We kissed, but that's that. And she's someone who grew up in the harem society, someone who accepted Issei's harem back in the original timeline, so she shouldn't mind me playing around a little.
But since I had yet to sleep with her, I guess she felt a little threatened seeing such a high-ranking and popular devil approach me so openly.
Satan-Class, All-Time 2nd in Rating Game ranks, Roygun Belphegor was a big shot in the underworld.
Any other time I might have given in and dragged this bombshell to her room to fuck her brains out, but not today. My schedule was tight, and Rias would be hurt if I did that. I guess I'll keep my paints chained for once.
"Pity, indeed. I'm sure we can work around that someday," I said, standing up. "But if that's all, I'd like to leave for the mountain range right away."
I was helping them by going there to clear the mountain range; after all, it was a dangerous place that threatened the inhabitants of Belphegor Territory. So it was them who should be indebted to me, not the other way around. Yet, devil politics was wack, so Rias had to pay Lady Belphegor with some 'gifts' to get me through, so I shouldn't waste that opportunity by wasting time at a party.
"Sure thing, big man," Lady Belphegor smiled. "If you receive injuries and require medical support, be sure to return to the mansion. I'll heal you… for a price."
"Of course," I nodded at her, meeting eyes with Rias for a bit, before turning around and blinking out of the mansion. I appeared in the sky and flew toward the direction where I could sense the aura of a pack of overgrown lizards.
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[Third Person Point of View]
Aqua soared through the dark skies above this mountain range, his form a streak of shadow against the starlit expanse. The Underworld followed Earth's timezone, and the Belphegor territory must follow somewhere near Japan for it to be nighttime here too. That made Aqua feel a bit more comfortable, he liked the night.
Below his speeding figure, the Ten Thousand Black Dragon Mountain Range spread out in a labyrinth of jagged peaks and valleys. Each mountain was a black, menacing monolith, with sharp edges glinting ominously in the faint light.
"Not a bad place," the entire landscape seemed to be carved from the void itself, a fitting home for the legendary Black Dragons.
Beauty wasn't the only thing here, however. As he flew, Aqua could see tiny spots of black with his Sage vision; dragons hidden among the mountains, curious about this odd visitor. After all, who was this human visiting this comfortable society?
The dragons watched him with a mix of curiosity and hostility, perhaps their ancient instincts recognized him as a threat? Aqua ignored their stares, his own eyes scanning the terrain below in search of prey.
It didn't take long for his gaze to lock onto a target—a weaker dragon separated from the main group. Although that little thing was formidable by mortal standards, it was nothing compared to the more powerful entities that lurked within the range.
As for why he was settling down for a weak dragon? If he were to kill the strongest dragon from the get-go, all the other dragons would flee knowing they didn't stand a chance. He could maximize his growth if he made them feel like they had a chance.
– What is he doing…?
– A human? No, a Demi-God…
– What audacity to come to the underworld, and to our mountains no less!
Aqua's lips curled into a predatory smile as he heard some whispers in the wind. The dragons naturally saw him as some pesky insect; Demi-Gods were not some big shot by their standards. Aqua was just 'food' to those stalking dragons.
He angled his descent, plummeting towards the unsuspecting beast that rested under the edge of a mountain, inside an almost hidden cave.
With a thunderous crash, Aqua landed on the dragon through the narrow gap in the cave's entrance, his impact shaking the entire area and sending up a cloud of dust and debris.
"Roargh!" The black dragon roared in surprise and pain, its massive body thrashing beneath him. It twisted its tail, throwing it toward Aqua, but he slapped it away; that made the tail crack and twist the other way.
"Die!" It spoke devil tongue, although it still sounded like a beast. It opened its maw and let out a purple-black stream of dragon flame.
Aqua stood facing it, allowing the beam to wash over him. The dragon growled as the beam ended, scoffing, but its expression fell when he saw Aqua standing just fine. Even his clothes were unscathed.
"That's enough struggling," Aqua said, pulling his fist back, and slamming it into the poor dragon's skull. It shouted in pain, while Aqua summoned Lightning Technique to burn its inside.
His forearms shimmered and darkened, turning blood red as he activated his Path of the Hungry Deep. If he had chosen this Path from the get-go, this would have been a permanent look on his forearms since this Path's Gold Sign had a very similar look. It came with some benefits but more troubles. He rather liked using it temporarily.
The transformation reached his hands, and his fingers elongated into claws, sharp and deadly. He used one of the attack techniques of this path, "[Lion's Maw]."
A Technique used to break down barriers, which worked the same against creatures with high defense. Drawing blood Qi from Aqua, the technique swirled into a bloody lion's face flooding with Aqua's soulfire. It opened its jaw, and bit into the dragon's neck, leaving it writhing in pain before tearing off half of its neck.
At the same time, Aqua's sharpened red claws cut through the air and tore into the dragon with savage efficiency. The dragon's scales, though tough, were no match for Aqua's empowered strikes. He ripped through its defenses, his claws digging deep into flesh and bone. The dragon fought back desperately in the first few seconds, its black flames scorching the air around them, but the attacks were too powerful.
Aqua was relentless. He moved with a fierce intensity, tanking the dragon's attacks and retorting with lethal precision. In a matter of moments, the once-mighty dragon lay dead at his feet, its body a broken and bloodied heap. The blood lion vanished, and Aqua bloomed his Jade Perception to check the surroundings.
Not all dragons knew about this cave since it was a little hidden, but the big shots sensed Aqua come here and kill one of their kin. Yet, they didn't come to attack right away. They'd rather observe.
"Well, if that's the case," he was sure his next actions would piss them off enough. He placed his hand on the dragon's corpse, and a red, swirling fog began to emanate from his palm. His blood-red colored forearms twitched, the muscles convulsing, as the fog enveloped the dragon, seeping into every crack and crevice, and the process of absorption began.
Blood Qi and Hunger Qi bloomed in the cave, if someone could sense the Qi in the cave they'd have thought that there was a national massacre taking place.
Aqua's eyes gleamed with fire as the essence of the dragon flowed into him, and he let out a soft groan. He felt a surge of power as the dragon's Mana, Strength, and Vitality was drawn into his own being. The black flames that the dragon oh-so-proudly used began to course through his veins, adding to his arsenal.
The fog thickened, obscuring the scene from any prying eyes. Aqua could feel the dragon's essence merging with his own, enhancing his abilities and fortifying his body. His muscles grew ever so sturdier, his Qi pool expanded, and the destructive flames filled his veins. If not for the Grandmist Body, the black flames would have damaged his veins greatly.
The harvest was great. Yet, he remained careful to avoid absorbing the dragon's racial traits. The eyes, scales, and potential for hybrid transformation were left untouched, entering his body through one arm, and immediately leaving through his other arm into the spectral fog.
As the last of the dragon's essence was absorbed, the fog began to dissipate, revealing Aqua standing alone amidst the ruins of his kill; the body of the dragon nowhere to be seen. His forearms returned to their normal state, the dark red receding like a tide.
"Feels great," Aqua rolled his shoulders, feeling the newfound strength and vitality coursing through him.
A swarm of draconic willpower crashed down over him, and he looked up at the mountains surrounding him, a cold, determined glint in his eyes. This was just the beginning, this was one of the weaker dragons. The old stronger ones were not mad. He would ravage this entire range, leaving no dragon unscathed, until the hunger of his Path of the Hungry Deep was fully satiated.
A Monarch was a mix of a Sage and a Herald; if a Sage was a mage, a Herald could be compared to a knight. To reach Monarch, Aqua had to check off both the Sage and Herald ascension. Sage was already done, but Herald would take time since it had conditions that were very hard for him. So since reaching Monarch was impossible for now, he was going to earn the strength of a Herald differently.
By stealing the strength of Black Dragons, and other Divine Beasts.
With a flick of his willpower, he summoned his Qi and took to the skies once more, disappearing into the night like a shadow. The hunt had only just begun.
…..
The Ten Thousand Black Dragon Mountain Range grew very quiet by the time Aqua walked out of it. When the Belphegor Clan sent a scout team to confirm the news, they found no life in the area, only an eerie red mist.
The territory had become littered with scars of scorched earth, barren lands devoid of any life. The legendary Black Dragons? None were seen as if they never existed.
Not even bones were found.
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