Lu Mao's expression stiffened, and he could only nod.
“The system said it's a Hero's party with an average level of seven or eight. They have immense potential in the future, and at least one Demon King will die by their hands. It wants me to find a way to join their party.”
Lumu clearly had no idea what a system was, merely treating it as some sort of charlatan prophet. Hearing that a Demon King would die at the hands of this so-called party, she immediately let out a disdainful laugh.
“Kid, it seems you don't quite understand the weight of the words 'Demon King.'
“Let's put it this way: even an existence of the master's level wouldn't be confident in dealing with a Demon King before his true body fully awakens.”
It was no wonder Lumu reacted this way.
In this world, the power levels of monsters were like an iron-forged pyramid, with the gap between each tier carved deep into their bones and blood—
LV1 to LV4: Low-Tier monsters. Slimes from starting villages and ordinary goblins belonged to this category. A well-trained apprentice adventurer could easily handle them.
LV5 to LV8: Mid-Tier monsters. Cannibal trees and ordinary mimics mostly fell within this range, requiring a fully-equipped adventurer to defeat.
LV9 to LV12: High-Tier monsters. They were the most common threats in the middle floors of the dungeon. An adventurer who defeated a High-Tier monster could obtain the title of Silver Rank adventurer.
LV13 to LV16: Elite monsters. Ordinary adventurers could not defeat them through sheer numbers; kingdom knights or Gold Rank adventurers had to be deployed.
LV17 to LV20: Overlord monsters. Powerful monsters capable of ruling over an entire subordinate race, they could no longer be defeated by ordinary means.
LV21: Demon King Candidate. Touching the threshold of a Demon King's authority, some of them had already learned Super-Tier Magic and forbidden spells. They possessed the qualifications to evolve into a Demon King, needing only a corresponding ritual to ascend.
LV22 to LV26: Demon King. Terrifying existences that struck fear into people's hearts. Forbidden spells and Super-Tier Magic were standard for them. Even the gods worshiped by the churches of various nations could do nothing against them unless they descended in person.
LV27 to LV28: Demigod. Existences that could not be looked upon directly. Most were enshrined by churches, commanding countless believers. Possessing the power of faith, they were bound by the rules of the world and could no longer act at will.
LV29 to LV30: Chief God. Existences that only existed in the legends of the major churches.
The mastery of magic was similarly locked by this pyramid—only by leveling up twice could one learn a higher circle of magic.
First-Circle Magic was the entry level, Third-Circle Magic was the signature of mid-rank adventurers, and the Fifth-Circle was already the threshold for court mages of various kingdoms. Magic of the Seventh-Circle and above was collectively known as High-Tier Magic, while the Tenth-Circle was the limit of mortals.
As for forbidden spells and Super-Tier Magic, those were no longer domains that could be reached through “learning.” They either relied on legendary sacred artifacts and bloodline inheritances, or were forcibly leveraged through the authority of a Demon King.
Lu Mao did not know how to respond, so he remained silent.
Chen Jiu was likewise uninterested in explaining what a “system” was to the succubus, and simply continued giving Lu Mao his instructions.
“Since our goals align, I don't need to do any mental preparation work for you. This is a space-type magic tool, though you can also call it a storage ring. Inside are some things you'll need.”
As Lu Mao listened, he accepted a ring that gleamed with a silver luster. It was of moderate size, fitting perfectly on his index finger.
“If there are no issues, I'll have Lumu send you over.”
“What? I'm not sending him... Uh... fine.”
The protesting succubus was immediately frightened back into submission by a single glance from Chen Jiu.
“Hold on tight. If you fall and splat to death, don't blame me.”
Just as Lumu was about to reach out and pick Lu Mao up, she heard Chen Jiu speak:
“Don't touch him. It will be troublesome if he gets tainted with your aura. Use the one-way teleportation array in the dark room to send him directly to the hidden portal on the ninth floor.”
Lumu's outstretched hand froze in midair, her tail swishing displeasuredly.
Meeting Chen Jiu's gaze, she swallowed the words she wanted to say and changed her tune. “Fine, follow me.”
She turned and walked toward the depths of the tavern, letting out a soft “tsk” as she passed by Lu Mao.
Lu Mao pretended not to hear, slipping the ring onto his index finger. It was a perfect fit, feeling cool to the touch.
He instinctively spun it twice with his thumb, a thought flashing through his mind—how much could this thing sell for on Earth?
At the end of the corridor was an unremarkable wooden door. Opening it revealed a cramped, dark room. Three magic stones that had mostly dimmed were embedded in the corner of the wall, and a teleportation array less than a meter in diameter was carved on the floor. Its lines were crooked, looking like they had been drawn by someone who was drunk.
Lumu leaned against the doorframe, pointing her tail at the center of the array. “Step on. It'll take only three seconds to send you there. The other side is an abandoned hidden door on the west side of the Blood Nest Cloister on the ninth floor. Usually, no monsters pass by—
“But there has been some subterranean turbulence lately. If you walk out and run right into something, just consider yourself unlucky.”
Lu Mao swallowed hard, raising his foot to step into the array.
“Wait.”
Lumu suddenly called out to stop him. She drew a short dagger from her waist; its sheath was a dusty, unremarkable gray. “Looking at you, you don't even have a single piece of defensive equipment. Take this and use it for now.”
Her words were filled with lingering attachment to the so-called Earth Dragon Stew.
【Name: Shadow Affinity Dagger】
【Grade: Fine (Growth-type)】
【Effect 1: Shadow Affinity—When used in dark environments, attack accuracy increases by 15%, and swinging the blade produces no reflection.】
【Effect 2: Neural Paralysis—The blade is coated with concentrated shadow toxin. The first hit on a target inflicts a neural paralysis effect lasting 3 seconds. Subsequent hits have gradually diminishing effects. Ineffective against targets at or above the Overlord-tier.】
【Growth Requirement: Absorb a sufficient amount of dark-attribute energy and monster cores.】
【Remarks: The abbreviation “R” on the hilt has been repeatedly carved, with the newest scratch still fresh. The blade shows signs of frequent use, and a line of tiny words is carved on the inside of the sheath—“To my most trouble-prone sister.”】
Fine grade—meaning it was an item on par with the Elite monster level.
Lu Mao took the dagger. Just as he was about to say thank you, the succubus had already turned her head away from him.
He slipped the dagger into his waist and stepped into the teleportation array. The moment the lines lit up, Chen Jiu's unhurried voice drifted over from the back doorway:
“Once you reach the ninth floor, check the checklist inside the ring first. Don't be in such a hurry to die.”
With a flash of light, Lu Mao vanished from the spot. The dark room fell silent once more, the residual glow of the teleportation array gradually fading within the lines.
Lumu stared at the empty center of the array for two seconds, then turned and walked back to the front hall.
Chen Jiu was already sitting back behind the bar, a third wine glass in his hand. Lumu pulled an empty bowl from who-knows-where and slammed it heavily onto the bar counter with a dull thud.
Chen Jiu looked up at her. “There's still a little left in the pot. If you want to eat, go scoop some yourself.”
Lumu blanked out for a moment, then leaned against the bar counter, her tail wagging happily once more.
...
Rate on N.U.
