The collapse of the starry sky continued, and Fars could even see the walls of normal buildings behind some of the shattered sky. At this point, he no longer had the strength to care about what happened next. Whether the demon could break free depended entirely on itself.
As the starry sky crumbled, the true appearance of the sixth floor of the laboratory was revealed to Fars. It appeared somewhat empty, with ancient, weathered walls adorned with a few tattered portraits. The whole place bore the chaotic and ruined marks of a fierce battle. Perhaps the fight had been too intense; there was nothing left in the visible area. Only a few platforms, glowing with intense magical light, surrounded a region that still sparkled like the night sky, and the violent tremors emanated from there. It was clear that this was where the demon's body was sealed. Since the demon was confident in its ability to escape, Fars was no longer worried about his magical contract being wasted. Having a high-level demon owe him a favor was already more than enough.
However, where were Joanna and Agno? After Fars had left them under the starry sky, he hadn't seen them again. Now that the sky had shattered, why couldn't he find them? It was quite strange.
The collapse of the starry sky would naturally have no effect on them, so where had the two gone? The entire sixth floor was not divided into many rooms; it was just one large hall. Fars scanned the area but found no sign of either of them. It was understandable that he couldn't see Joanna, the stealthy assassin, but Agno, being a living person, should have been easy to spot unless he had some kind of invisibility magic item.
The only possibility was that they were on the other side of the still-intact starry sky. That area was likely too dangerous, with the seal still in place, and the demon was struggling to break free. Fars was reluctant to go around, but he couldn't ignore it any longer. If he couldn't find them, he wouldn't feel at ease.
After casting a few layers of optional shields on himself and activating the elemental shield on his robe, Fars quickly dashed forward. Sure enough, after navigating around the obstructing starry area, he found Joanna and Agno standing in front of a corpse, surprised to see Fars, who had disappeared for a while and suddenly reappeared.
"I didn't expect you to have a connection with the sealed demon. I underestimated you before," Joanna was the first to speak.
Fars retorted, "You didn't fill me in on the details about the seal either. That fascination with the starry sky was just an act, wasn't it?"
Joanna smiled lightly, not denying it. "We have no conflicting interests. You want to save the demon, and we don't mind. We can all go our separate ways afterward."
"What about the items? The great mage Naitcher couldn't have left nothing behind," Fars replied. Joanna was right; they had no conflicting interests, but Fars had come to the sixth floor hoping to gain some of Naitcher's legacy.
Without needing Joanna to say it, Fars could see that the corpse hadn't been disturbed. The long-dead great mage Naitcher had very few items left—only a bracelet and a necklace. This was easy to divide; according to their previous agreement, the corpse belonged to them, and Fars would take half of the items on it. The choice was between the bracelet and the necklace, provided Joanna and Agno would honor their verbal agreement from before ascending to the sixth floor.
None of them had had the chance to examine the two items yet. For Fars, both items were inconsequential; their mere survival proved their value. However, Joanna and Agno likely didn't share that view. They were unaware of the secrets hidden within the corpse, but it was very likely that those secrets were concealed within the items on it. The agreement with Fars was merely a verbal promise, without any formal contract. Joanna and Agno had likely prepared items to resist the effects of the seal, anticipating that Fars would be unable to escape its influence. Once they found Naitcher's corpse, they planned to take the items and leave through a teleportation scroll.
However, they hadn't expected Fars to maintain a connection with the demon sealed here, even able to assist it in breaking free in such a short time. Upon entering the seal, they had pretended to be mesmerized by the seal's influence, but Fars, who should have been affected, had only been momentarily distracted. They didn't know the reason behind this, so they continued to act as if they were entranced, hoping to see what Fars would do next.
The situation took an unexpected turn when the starry seal began to collapse, giving them the opportunity to find Naitcher's corpse. Unfortunately, Fars had appeared too quickly.
"You see the two items; choose one," Joanna said after exchanging glances with Agno.
Since it didn't matter what they chose, and they left the decision to him, Fars felt somewhat relieved. He thought about the necklace hanging around his neck, which he would have to return to Joanna. They were willing to honor their promise, and Fars felt that breaking his word wasn't a good habit. Although he coveted Joanna's necklace, the one left by the great mage should be of decent quality as well.
"Give me the necklace," Fars finally made up his mind and took off the star-shaped pendant from around his neck, tossing it to Joanna.
Agno removed the necklace from Naitcher's corpse and threw it to Fars.
The transaction was complete, and the agreement was fulfilled. One could say that the collaboration among the three had been quite successful.
The demon's assault on the seal was nearing its end, as its roars could now be heard clearly through the seal. Joanna and Agno wasted no time and solemnly took out a long-distance teleportation scroll. Once opened, a small spatial door appeared. Just as they were about to step onto their return journey, Joanna turned back and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"
Perhaps it was Fars's display of integrity that made Joanna feel it would be better to bring him into their camp than to have another enemy.
Fars didn't want to outright refuse, knowing they might cross paths again in the future. "If that day comes, I would very much like to collaborate with you again."
Having completed two tasks, Joanna and Agno didn't linger. The demon was on the verge of breaking the seal. Fars had a connection with the demon, so he naturally wasn't worried about what would happen once it emerged. However, the demon that had killed the half-legendary Naitcher could easily deal with the two of them.
As he watched them enter the teleportation portal, the door slowly began to close. Fars pondered whether he should find a way out of the Gonsago ruins. His transaction with the demon was complete; should he stay and observe the demon's emergence?
The reason Fars chose to remain wasn't to wait for the demon but because he still had his eyes on the third item that Joanna and Agno had abandoned.
If it truly was on the sixth floor, it was likely located within the seal where the demon still resided. Additionally, Fars was curious whether the sentient magical items that maintained the seal would remain after the demon broke free. Having already established a slight connection with six of them, Fars could sense that those platforms shimmering with magical light held those items.
After waiting for about half a day, the starry sky finally vanished completely. Fars didn't expect the first words from the demon to be a curse directed at him: "You fool! All of Naitcher's good stuff is in his bracelet! And a few of my things are in there too."
Although he had anticipated that the bracelet was a spatial item, Fars knew that even if he obtained it, it would be a long time before he could use it. No one could guarantee he would still be alive by then. Moreover, he already possessed two relics from great mages, so he didn't feel too regretful about the bracelet slipping through his fingers. At the very least, if Joanna and Agno were sensible, they would appreciate his efforts. Having stirred up so many enemies, Fars wanted to salvage something. After all, if he wanted to become a lord and restore his family's glory, he couldn't afford to create too many enemies, especially among the larger families. If he walked alone, he wouldn't care. Fars believed in his choice.
Thus, he ignored the demon's insults. Although the demon owed him a favor and promised not to harm him, now that it had broken free from the seal, it was best to avoid appearing too arrogant in front of the now-empowered demon.
The demon continued to curse in its own language, probably enjoying the chance to vent after thousands of years, especially with Fars as an audience. Eventually, the demon didn't forget its "benefactor" and was eager to leave this cursed place it had been trapped in for millennia.
The seal outside the laboratory seemed effective against low-level demons, but it was as flimsy as paper against high-level demons that were only slightly weaker than legendary ones. After taking Fars down to the bottom floor, the demon effortlessly tore apart the seal that had been blocking its exit.
Having just witnessed Joanna and the others use a magnificent teleportation portal, Fars was astonished when the demon forcefully ripped open a spatial rift, dragging him through.
They emerged on the surface. Although they were out, the demon didn't dare to shout loudly. After all, the Qihar Mountains were dangerous at any time. If they accidentally attracted some lord-level beasts or legendary powerhouses, the demon that had appeared so strong in front of Fars would have to flee with its tail between its legs.
For the freed demon, Fars felt it was time to part ways. Before he could voice this thought, the demon picked him up and confidently led him into the maze guarding the Gonsago ruins.