A few days went by, my training for the North Emerald Invasion and my Dark Lord training going by smoothly over the days. I've gained a fair share of Notoriety from the multiple invasions I was doing and ranked up twice. However, despite my progress, I noticed I wasn't gaining much Notoriety from only pillaging human settlements for gold and relics.
Jinx leaned against her desk and smiled at me, listening to me talk about my experiences so far as a Dark Lord. Her tail swayed from side to side as she listened. "Not gaining much Notoriety huh? Well, you won't become famous by just pillaging. While he's, you will still get noticed gradually, if you want to get noticed more and grow your dungeon, you'll need to destroy human settlements, meow..~"
I stared at Jinx of a moment and sighed softly, rubbing the back of my head. "And for some reason I just know you're not lying either...I actually have to destroy human settlements? There's gotta be another way."
Jinx giggled softly and reached out to me, stroking my chin, making me look at her. "Dark Lords are known for their bad deeds and qualities. You can't be a Dark Lord and not destroy, meow. Besides, a Dark Lord's power depends on Destruction. If you don't want to destroy Hero Settlements, there are a plethora of Fallen Settlements around."
"Really? Do you know where they are around the area?" I asked, my eyes glowing with determination and excitement.
Jinx smiled at my excitement then pointed at the Fortune Teller's Tent in the center of the western quadrant of the Dark Lord Merchant Plaza. "There's a Fortune Teller in that tent over there. She can tell you more about the many locations of the Fallen Settlements and do much more. I recommend going to her if you need advice about The Fallen or if you want your Fortune to be told."
My gaze followed where she pointed, nodding then looked back at Jinx. "Alright, thank you for that."
"Before you go, do you want to buy a few Monster Eggs? I think it's about time for some upgrades and I have a selection of Monster Eggs ready to go," Jinx offered, standing up straight and walking toward the back to show me the battle ready eggs.
"What do you have in store right now?" I asked, looking at the finite selection of eggs.
"Right now, I only have a few Slime King Eggs, Slime Girl Eggs, Dullahan Eggs, Golem Eggs, and Skull Knight Eggs," Jinx answered.
"Mmm...I guess. Ahh whatever, I'll take the entire stock. I have enough gold for it," I chuckled, taking out a Gold Bar.
"Good choice~" Jinx said, grabbing three of each Egg she had then put them in a large basket for me and handed them over. She grabbed the Gold Bar and smiled at it. "Pleasure doing business with you, meow~ I'll have my stock renewed by tomorrow, come back soon~"
I nodded and began to make my way toward the Western Area of the plaza, making my way toward the Fortune Teller's Tent. The Fortune Teller's tent was a lavish yet unsettling place situated in the center of the western quadrant of the plaza, bathed in flickering candlelight and filled with the scent of incense and ancient magic. The tent was decorated with dark silks and curtains embroidered with strange symbols and runes. Inside, a large, circular table dominated the space, its surface covered in tarot cards, crystal orbs, and bowls filled with mysterious liquids.
The Fortune Teller, a mysterious figure with piercing eyes that seem to see into the very soul, offered Dark Lords glimpses into the future. She allowed them to spend Gold Currency in exchange for Common Skills—useful abilities that can aid them in their invasions for dominance—or for Dark Miracles, powerful blessings that can alter the course of fate. Her voice is soft yet commanding, and when she speaks, her words seem to echo with the weight of prophecy.
"Ahh...a new Dark Lord has arrived. Come to my desk.." The woman said, her face covered by her hood. She watched as I walked forward and sat down in the seat in front of the table. "And why have you shown to the tent..?"
"I want to know the nearest Fallen Settlements that I can invade and destroy," I said, my tone straightforward and firm.
The Fortune Teller nodded then began to hover her hands over the Crystal Ball in front of her. She closed her eyes and hovered her hands around the crystal ball, humming softly. I glanced at the Crystal Ball and at the fortune teller, scratching the side of my head.
"Uhm...isn't it supposed—" I began.
"Shhh...let me concentrate," The Fortune Teller shushed, continuing to hover her hands over the Crystal Ball.
I waited for a few more minutes then sighed, standing up. I was going to leave until I heard a crash, turning back and noticing the woman on the floor.
"Wait...!" She squeaked softly, grunting as she stood up. She took off her hooded cloak. "I'm still in training. My mom's the real fortune teller and she's been out on the surface for a while. I've been taking over her job for her as of lately. My name is Yen."
Yen had a very lively and playful energy, combined with a striking appearance that blends fantasy elements with a sense of wealth or opulence. She had prominent fox-like ears, which suggest that she was either a part-animal humanoid or a fantastical race resembling anthropomorphic beings. The ears add to her cute and mischievous aura.
She had a darker skin tone that contrasts beautifully with her bright teal eyes and her extravagant jewelry, making her stand out as a unique and radiant person in the plaza. Her long, dark, wavy hair added to her elegance and charm. It flowed freely, giving her a carefree and confident air.
Her outfit is adorned with a variety of intricate jewelry and gemstones, featuring gold accents and a bold color scheme, notably red, black, and gold. Her outfit, revealing and decorated with jewels, gave her a somewhat exotic and mystical flair, as if she could be a genie, treasure guardian, or princess instead of a Fortune Teller.
"I was told that I would be able to get some information on Fallen Settlements. Unfortunately, you are unable to provide that information. I will return when your mother comes back," I said, turning on my heels to leave, but Yen grabbed my sleeve quickly.
"Please, just give me a chance, sire! I don't know where my mother is right now and I just want to fill her role correctly..." Yen said softly, her fox ears folding backwards and her voice tinged with desperation.
I looked back at Yen, letting out a soft sigh and deciding to give her anothet chance then sat down in the seat once again. I exhaled softly and watched Yen sit down as well. "I'm only giving you one more chance."
Yen nodded and set up her crystal ball once again. "Thank you, sire...That means a lot."
I watched as Yen weaved her hands around the crystal ball, concentrating greatly on showing me images of where Fallen Settlements were. I watched as an image began to form inside the crystal ball.
"Fallen Settlements...one city near Zodiac Square...another in a church near Twin Summits at the Gemini Kingdom in St. Nova...a third one...within a base in St. Meishi near Libra Kingdom...mmph...my mother has been captured there," Yen said, grunting and lowering her hands, exhaling softly as it took a lot of her mana to use her power.
I took mental notes of the three Fallen Settlements, but focused mainly on the Libra Base that had her mother. "Your mother is captured there you say? I can go there to save her if you'd like.."
Yen looked up at me, her fox ears perking up and she blinked quickly, processing my words to make sure she heard me correctly. "Wait...save her? A Dark Lord... offering to save someone?"
"It's not just anyone. Your mother is a member of this Merchant Plaza. I would do the same for anyone else The Fallen may capture in the future for their gains. Plus Dark Lords don't always have to commit heinous acts of destruction all the time," I shrugged, giving Yen a warm smile.
Yen's cheeks slowly grew rosy at my smile and she looked down, fiddling with her hands. "That would be nice... truly...if you could save my mom. I truly appreciate it."
"Uhm...if you want, I can't reward you with some Skill Cards as a reward," Yen added, looking up at me with a smile.
"Skill Cards?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Mhm!" Yen nodded, smiling at me then held up a card that resembled a tarot card. "These are skill cards. I can only manifest Common Skills right now, but they are really useful!"
I looked at the tarot card, noticing it was in a blank state. It had no words or pictures upon the card, but still brimmed with arcane energy. I looked at Yen, nodding. "Alright, I'll take some cards as a reward."
Yen smiled at me, feeling a surging happiness inside her heart. "Okay!~ Again, thank you for going out and saving my mother.."
I nodded and turned to leave the tent. As I began to make my way to the Devil Stone to leave the plaza, I got a call from Nagini to meet her at her lab. Confirming with Nagini, I used the Devil Stone to warp out of the merchant plaza.
-----------------------------------------
I arrived at Nagini's Lab, walking inside and noticing Moira hooked up to her equipment. I noticed the uncomfortable look in Moira's eyes and lowered my head, shaking it slightly then walked forward and looked at Nagini, who was looking over the information she gathered from Moira.
"Nagini, why do you have Moira still hooked up? She's obviously uncomfortable right now," I said, glancing at Moira, noticing her meet my glance as well.
"I was getting ready to unhook her. You can go ahead and do it if you'd like. I need to talk to you about my discoveries anyway," Nagini said, her eyes glued to her computer screen. "Where's Maliz?"
I walked toward Moira, unhooking her from her equipment. I helped her off the platform and took her to a desk so she could sit down. I turned my attention toward Nagini. "She's at HQ right now, resting after our invasion from last night. I gave her tonight off. Why?"
"Just wondering. I was just expecting her to be with you. Anyways, about my discoveries. That woman has untapped mana potential inside her. Her ability to touch the Demon Statue and even slightly awaken its power is fascinating," Nagini began, sitting back in her seat and turning in her chair toward me.
"That red gem inside of that statue is a Devil Stone shard. That Shaman being able to awaken its power means she's connected to some kind of Dark Magic. Perhaps a Divine Pact or a Demon Vow? It's hard to tell for now, but I want you to take her with you on your next invasion," Nagini continued, tossing me the Demon Statue.
I caught the statue and looked at it. "What can this relic do?"
"It's her life line. That Demon Statue is what makes her immortal. Don't ask how I know that, just know I tested extensively on her to know her limits and with that Devil Stone shard, specifically, she can't die. As long as it remains within a ten foot radius of her," Nagini said, standing up and putting on her lab coat.
"With that gem, she can help aid you and your monsters. She can use Spirit Elements also, turn a Soul into an Element. Since you're the Null Element, you could do well in using that to your advantage. Anyways, I'm gonna take a break. Let me know when tonight's invasion is complete," Nagini said, walking out of her lab.
I looked at Moira and walked toward her with a smile. "Sorry for how she experiments...she likes to go a little overboard, especially when science and knowledge is involved. She doesn't mean any hard truly."
Moira was a bit silent for a moment, but soon spoke up. "Okay...are you going to take me on an invasion..?"
"That's if you want. I'm going to go invade a Fallen Settlement at the Libra's Justice Base. You don't have to join if you don't want to," I answered, setting the Demon Statue in front of her on the desk.
Moira looked at the Demon Statue, gently grabbing it and holding it close to her chest. "I'll join...I would like to be of use to my Savior.."
I stared at her for a moment then rubbed the back of my head. "Alright," I said with a soft chuckle then made a dark portal.
Moira and I began to make our way inside the portal then the portal closed behind us. A second portal opened and we exited, noticing the Libra Justice Base in the distance.
I took a deep breath and was about to summon my Domain, but heard a soft giggle which stopped me. I looked back and noticed Mariella behind us. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just stopping by. I'm intrigued by you. You've been using your power to stop The Fallen from progressing when normally a Dark Lord would target Heroes. However, Dark Lords don't usually side with good or evil, we destroy worlds all the same," Mariella said, walking forward and looking at the base ahead.
I looked at the base ahead and lowered my hand. "That base has Yen's mother captured. I'm also sensing a Relic inside there. I was just about to summon my Dungeon."
"Are you planning to pillage or destroy the base? If you just pillage it, you'll need your Dungeon to prevent them from escaping too far. If you want to raze it, you won't need your Dungeon. You can just summon your Altar and summon your monsters," Mariella explained, glancing at me.
"Well I'm gonna destroy it once I save the Fortune Teller...I want more Notoriety so I can keep ranking up and get better monsters and facilities," I said, looking at Mariella and crossing my arms.
Mariella smiled and summoned a Monster Soul in her hand. "Take this Ice Golem. I can tell you have a Slime Girl in your disposal so I'm gonna teach you about Monster Fusion.."
I stared at her for a moment, trying to find any deceit in her eyes. She gave me an inviting smile, waiting for me to accept her offer. I finally accepted the Ice Golem and she took me and Moira into the forest so she could teach me about Monster Fusion.
"Alright, it's time for you learn more about Monsters and what all they can offer. Aside from being your minions essentially, they can become much stronger with the right recipes. Just like Ylva, she's a Monster Fusion. Unlike normal Monsters, Fused Monsters are more intelligent, stronger, and don't require souls to summon," Mariella began to explain.
"However, while they offer great benefits, if your Fused Monster dies, they can't come back even if you have Souls to use. The only way to get them back is if you fuse monsters for them again. Depending on how many monsters you fuse to make the Fusion Monsters, that's how many cores they obtain," Mariella continued, summoning a Monster Fusion Circle.
"Cores?" I asked, watching Mariella with my arms crossed.
"Monster Cores are only used for Fusion Monsters, Contracted Monsters, and Summoner Monsters, a type of monster you obtain from Summoner's Books. They are essentially extra lives for Monsters. Those types of monsters can have as little as two cores and as many as nine cores," Mariella explained.
"Alright, the Fusion Circle is ready. Go ahead and summon your Ice Golem and Slime Girl then combine them together to make your Monster Fusion," Mariella said, stepping back to watch me.
I nodded and summoned the Souls of my Ice Golem and a Slime Girl, allowing them to float into the Fusion Circle. Once inside, the circle shined brightly and a pillar of dark light shined to the sky and the fusion process began taking place.
Suddenly, the temperature began to drop rapidly, frost covering the trees and the ground. Moira's body shivered due to the sudden drop in temperature, her breathing becoming shaky. I used my fiery energy to cloak her body, immediately warming her up.
A woman with flowing ice colored hair and pale skin with a light blue tint appeared before us, staring at me and her icy blue eyes shone brightly. She was scantily clad in bikini armor and backed by an ice halo surrounded by crystals brought together with dark chains.
Mariella smirked lightly and chuckled, crossing her arms and looking at the Monster before us. "Congratulations..~ You've just summoned Shiva, Queen of the Poignant Winters."
I stared at Shiva for a moment, my arms crossed as I studied her for a moment. I smiled at her and stepped forward and held my hand out toward her. "Shiva...will you join me on my conquest to stop The Fallen from taking over our world?"
Shiva looked at my hand then her gaze met mine once again. She nodded and gracefully took my hand, her touch chilling yet soothing. "I shall help you, Mast—"
"Shiva!" Ylva howled happily, tackling her into a hug and her tails wagged happily. "Ylva missed you Shiva!~"
Shiva grunted as she fell to the ground with Ylva on top of her. Her cheeks became tinged with a rosy color, contrasting with her light blue skin. "I...missed you too...White Fang..."
I watched the interaction and couldn't help but to smile at them. I looked at Mariella and rolled my shoulders. "Alright...let's go destroy the Fallen Settlement and rescue Yen's mother."
Mariella nodded, summoning her trident then snapped her fingers, making Ylva return to her side without having to say a single command. "Let's go..."
At the base, a young woman sighed as she sat at a table with one leg elegantly crossed over the other. She looked at the Fortune Teller in her cell, an annoyed expression on her face. She took a sip of her drink and set it down, a groan escaping her lips.
"Y'know...we could've been on our way if you would just follow orders and tell us who killed Kuda and where our Shaman is located. Instead, you want to be an annoying old hag who acts like you can't hear what I'm saying," The young woman scoffed, moving her foot in circular motions.
"If your fellow ally was killed by a Dark Lord, that's something I have no control over. The Dark Lords I served are either long dead and the new generation of Dark Lords have been sealed away. As far as your Shaman, I don't know who she is, so I can't find her," The Fortune Teller retorted, sitting calmly in tbe confinements of her prison.
"Lady Aurora, we've got trouble at the base! A group of monsters are attacking!" A member of Aurora's squad reported.
Aurora sighed lightly, chugging down the rest of her drink then slammed down her glass. She stood up gracefully from her seat, smoothing out her clothes and walking off. "You stay here and watch over th Fortune Teller. I'll deal with the issue."
"Y-Yes ma'am..!" The man said, staying in the room to keep watch over the Fortune Teller.
As Aurora made her way outside the base and her eyes widened as she noticed a horde of monsters wreaking havoc around the base. She watched as my Goblins, Imps, and Skull Knights began killing her forces one by one.
She looked around the base, feeling a dark presence nearby, seeing Dullahan and Shiva working together to destroy the defenses of the base then heard a howl, turning to see Ylva happily picking off Aurora's squad with aggression and excitement.
'What is going on..? How did these monsters get here..?' Aurora asked herself, stepping backwards to retreat back into the base. 'There are too many of them...I can't take all of them on myself...'
She began to run down the halls back toward the room the Fortune Teller is being held. She grunted as she felt dark chains wrap around her waist then yelped as she was yanked backwards. She looked back and noticed me behind her.
She swiftly acted, flipping backwards and evading my attack then landed behind me. I turned around and looked at Aurora, seeing her afraid yet confident expression. I rolled my shoulder and stared at her, my gaze unwavering.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking the base?" Aurora asked, demanding answers from me.
"Where is the Fortune Teller and the Relic?" I asked, discarding her initial question.
Aurora seemed a bit surprised at my tone, scoffing at me and glaring at me. She summoned her scythe and readied her weapon. "I asked you a question first! If you don't answer my question, I'll just beat it out of you!"
I taunted her, daring her to approach me. Aurora became enraged at my taunt, gritting her teeth then she growled and lunged toward me. She slashed her scythe at me, but I dodged her attack then evaded her next swings. I countered with a powerful kick to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her crashing backwards along the ground.
Aurora recovered onto one knee, looking up at me then scoffed, rushing forward and slashed at me again, but I summoned a Slime King, using its body to protect me from her attack. Aurora grunted as she tried to pull her scythe away from the body of the Slime King, ripping the scythe out of its gelatinous body.
"Is that all you've got..?" I asked, pointing at Aurora then the Slime King rushed toward her.
The Slime King extended its body toward Aurora, but she swiftly sliced it in two. The Slime King's two half's regenerated and form into two Slime Kings, surprising Aurora and causing her to step back.
'I am fighting against a Dark Lord... possibly the same Dark Lord that killed Kuda. There's no way I'm winning this fight. I need to retreat to another base, this one is a lost cause,' Aurora thought, stepping back and hitting the alarm button on the base and swiftly threw down a smoke bomb and retreated.
'Hmph...she retreated. Alright, let's sesrch this base, maybe I'll find both the Fortune Teller and the Relic...' I thought, walking down the hall.
The man watching the Fortune Teller heard the alarm, knowing it was time to retreat from the base. He hurried toward the cage, but noticed the Fortune Teller was gone. Slightly panicked, he looked around for the older woman, but groaned as he felt a Crystal Ball slam against his neck, causing him to fall down.
The Fortune Teller walked backwards and made her swift retreat from the base, tossing a Skill Card ahead and created a portal, entering and disappearing from the area.
Mariella waited outside the base for me, sitting inside her giant clamshell with one leg crossed over the other. Soon, she noticed me exiting the base, wielding a large golden scale in my hand. "Well, you certainly made things quick."
"The Fortune Teller isn't here. They must've taken her to one of the other bases when they retreated. I did find the Relic though. What is this?" I asked, looking at the scale.
"It's called the Demon's Scale. It's a relic I need to revive Floria. Next, all I need to do is awaken the Tree of Life in the Virgo Kingdom and I would have everything I need to revive Floria. Even though you want to stop me from doing so, you could learn a lot more if you'd help me," Mariella said, standing up and walking toward me.
I contemplated her words and closed my eyes. I opened my eyes and looked at the relic in my hand then looked at Moira, noticing her nervous yet determined gaze. I turned my attention back to Mariella and sighed softly, handing her the Demon's Scale to her.
"You better not trick me when all of this is over..." I said, my tone firm and cautious.
Mariella's smile grew as she accepted the relic, a soft giggle escaping her lips. She leaned toward me and kissed my cheek. "Don't worry, it'll all be worth it in the end. Now, let's destroy this base so you can go rest for the night."
I nodded and turned toward the base, forming a hand gesture. "Domain Creation: Trap Explosion..."
The Trap Explosion Room form around the base then a barrage of giant energy bombs began to fall from the sky, causing multiple massive explosions and destroying the base. Once the base was destroyed, Mariella, Moira, and I escaped the area quickly before any heroes came to investigate the scene.
{Day 7 Complete.}
{Souls Earned: 130}
{Souls: 300 [MAX!]}
{Gold Earned: 94}
{Current Gold: 713}
{Notoriety Points Earned: +150}
{Notoriety Points: 420}