The bright light that covered my vision and filled my immediate world dissipated and dissolved as I walked out of it, and into the room beyond the gigantic doors.
A little pensive, I swept my gaze through the room as soon as I regained my vision, and my heart froze stiffly. Immediately, I tensed and almost forgot to breathe.
What is this?
'What the fuck is this?! '
Behind the colossal doors, what laid beyond them wasn't the outside world I had oh so dreamed of the last four weeks, but instead, it was the exact replica of the Throne chamber like the one I just left.
It was tall, and immensely expansive with the walls spreading out widely to the sides. The grand and humongous stone pillars stood, looming imposingly off to the sides, and the far high ceiling was still something I couldn't even see. And at the far end, sitting imposingly on a raised platform of stairs, was a grand and archaic looking throne, surrounded by a golden halo.
But this time, it wasn't made of just old, obsidian stone.
'No, it's different...' I struggled a breath and realized.
I blinked my eyes and looked around a bit more.
It wasn't just the throne at the far end that was different. The whole chamber was.
I took another breath and reigned in my thoughts. With a single glance I swept a gaze across the entire chamber.
It was like a replica of the Boss lair; incredibly tall ceiling, massive stone pillars holding them up, long and wide walls, immense and grand environment, and to top it off, there was a throne at the opposite end, at the wall furthest at the back of the chamber.
The throne from the Boss lair was sat atop a platform that stood at the center of the whole chamber. This one was placed at the end of a red carpeted walkway.
In the truest form, this place was more like an audience chamber when compared to the one from before.
I looked down at the vibrant designs of the red carpet I stood on. I was on edge earlier and didn't notice it, but the carpet really did feel soft and smooth against my feet.
This audience chamber was also brightly lit. There was a warm and bright glow, like sunlight, seeping through glass mosaic and murals hanging across the walls, adding to the chamber and giving it an enchanting and mystical feel.
The center path of the chamber, the walk way that led up to the throne at the end was carpeted by a red rug, and to the sides of the walk way, the floor was made of polished bronze and gold tiles.
The stone pillars surrounding the walkway leading to the Throne at the end we're inlaid and plated with gold, and aesthetic carvings. Some of them even had imagery descriptions carved finely on them.
The bright window mosaic filled the chamber with the impression of the light of day. Everything and every corner of the room was so bright and suffusing with warm and soft golden light. It was in stark contrast to the dark and gloomy allure of the Boss lair from behind.
But at the same time, I tensed in place and my thoughts were already racing.
It's like the boss lair from before was made and designed in the image of the real deal, and exquisite grandeur of this one.
Then...I furrowed my brows, as I did another quick sweep of the surrounding with a glance.
Specifically, I focused on the throne platform at the furthest end, and next to it.
After that, I felt a slight weight and pressure on my chest lessen.
The Silver Sentinel...is not there...I thought with a relieved sigh.
In fact, there wasn't any signs of any living creatures or things that moved.
But I already learned my lesson twice before. I activated my Appraisal skill and swept the area with another glance.
'Meta. '
[Affirmative.]
Appraisal would immediately identify to me anything that was alive, since it would bring out a description of the type of creature, unless it was something much higher level than me. But even then, it would still show question marks.
And I also had Meta scan the area using my senses as an extension.
'There's nothing on both ends. '
I sighed as a wave of relief washed through me.
But I still didn't let my guard down. Meta had already proven to me once the weaknesses of her perception, and I could have just missed something with Appraisal. Furthermore, if there was a creature like the Silver Slime that could shapeshift and change form, then it could easily sneak up on me and deliver a devastating blow.
"...what now?"
Just as I muttered to myself, the familiar red screen interface that I haven't seen in a while suddenly appeared before me.
...
[Congratulations, brave Warrior, on reaching this far. You have successfully cleared the Inheritance Dungeon of the Demon Lord Laplace of Entropy. Your strength, bravery, effort and achievements are commendable.
— Number of deaths: 2
— Number of Lives left: 1.
—Calculating rewards...
Rewards will be distributed. Please step forward for the Throne.]
...
It was a longer string of letters I haven't seen the red interface display before. I slowly read through it and my eyes widened and tremble in shock.
Demon Lord.
Inheritance Dungeon.
Laplace of Entropy.
Those three phrases stood out to me above the rest.
'What the fuck... ' all of a sudden it feels like I've been involved in something much larger and deeper than I realized for the last couple of weeks.
Just to be sure, I read through the interface again before dismissing it, and then I sighed.
"Fuck me sideways."
Wasn't fate bitching me enough already?
I sighed again and facepalmed. What the fuck am I doing in the Inheritance Dungeon of a Demon Lord?!
Who's Laplace of Entropy? I don't know! I don't care! I just want to go home!
Take me home!!
I didn't know wether to cry or laugh.
'Hey, Meta, what do you think about this situation.' I slumped my shoulders and asked.
[I suggest it's better to do as the system has said.] Meta said.
I raised my head and stared down the walkway, at the grand golden throne sitted at the end.
Well...I guess there's no other choice. The interface also mentioned something about a reward? At least, there was something to look forward to what I would get out of all this.
So I made up my mind and nodded to myself.
'I'll just get my reward and scram without looking back. When I get back home, I'll live life like this never happened! Cuz It did not! There's no way, in all of the chances and possible timelines, that I, Victor Bright, could have stumbled on the Inheritance of a Demon Lord! Even I know that I can't be that misfortunate! '
I dismissed the red screen, and slowly took mild steps forward. I followed the instructions and made my way to the throne across from me.
At this point, there was no rush. When I looked back, the colossal doors had already shot close at some point without me noticing, and since the interface said I already cleared the dungeon, that meant i wouldn't be taken by surprise by a sudden attack.
So I took my time, and took in the exquisite grandeur of the bright throne room that seemed to be made of gold. But what truly caught my attention, were the colored glass windows and murals on the walls apart.
Before I realized it, I was already standing before one of them. The tall and wide obsidian wall was carved with the depiction of images, and strange and unfamiliar runes surrounding them.
"..."
There was something instinctive about them, the runes... something I found strange and odd.
I couldn't understand the characters that seemed to be telling a story, but I also couldn't take my eyes off them. It was like each carved detail was drawing me in, begging me to unsurface their meaning.
And so I stared. And stared.
And stared more.
Time passed without me knowing how long. I didn't realize when I walked to the wall, and I also didn't realize I was just staring at it. My eyes were just focused on one part of the wall, on a certain chain of runes, when I heard a slight buzz in my head and my vision blurred slightly.
A system message popped right before my eyes, nearly scaring the shit out of me. But before I could curse out Meta, I was immediately drawn to what the strange notification was reading.
It said:
...
[Requirements have been met.]
[Congratulations. Authorization granted]
[Second Sequence has been unlocked. Your Authorization access has been raised. You are now privy to more features.]
...
This is...my eyes widened.
My Authorization access has been raised...once I processed this, all of the previous times Meta has shot down many of my questions surfaced at once.
At those times, Meta had mocked about how my Authorization access was still too low, and how I needed to get stronger to access the informations I asked for. But then I was always confused about the concept, and overtime I just overwrote it as Meta being infuriatingly secretive.
But now, this was something that was unexpected.
I felt a smile slowly curl up on my lips.
Doesn't this mean I'll finally be able to get some answers?
I restrained my excitement, and turned my face back to the screen.
"Huh? There are more lines of text now..." While I wasn't paying attention for a few seconds, few more words were added to the screen.
...
[You have met the right requirements to raise your sequence. You will now 'glimpse' a part of the 'truth'.]
...
[Skill, {Immersion}
...