"Father, please wait!"
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Esil quickly stepped forward, spreading her arms to shield Natsuki Subaru. "Lord Subaru, he's not an enemy!" she said, her tone urgent as she waved her hands.
"We already agreed, as long as he gets the permit, he won't hurt anyone!"
Having witnessed Natsuki Subaru's immense power firsthand, Esil was already completely convinced.
At this moment, she knew better than anyone that if a conflict were to break out, the entire Radir family would face annihilation.
"That's right, Esil and I did make a deal." Natsuki Subaru gently moved Esil's shoulder aside and took a step forward, looking calmly at Abak.
"As long as I get the passage permit to the next floor, I won't lay a hand on anyone from the Radir family, including you and these knights. But if you insist on stopping me…"
Natsuki Subaru paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"You'll have to face the consequences!"
Staring at Natsuki Subaru, Abak swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously tightening on his robe.
A message from the family messenger, delivered just hours earlier, flashed through his mind.
An unknown human had invaded the Demon Castle, fighting his way up and consecutively slaying two lords, the Flame God and Metus.
Those two were top-tier beings who ruled over entire regions, their magical power and combat experience far surpassing his own as a demon noble, yet both had fallen to this human.
For the human before him to accomplish such a feat, his strength must be unfathomable, far beyond what he and the dozen or so Demon Knights in the castle could ever hope to challenge.
If they were to truly fight, forget defending the castle and the permit—the entire Radir family would likely be wiped out today.
Thinking it over, his daughter Esil's earlier decision wasn't a compromise at all; it was clearly the only choice to preserve their family.
As they say, a wise man submits to circumstances. He couldn't risk the fate of his entire family.
Abak remained silent for a few seconds before finally letting out a slow breath. His tone softened, losing its earlier harshness.
"I agree."
With that, he turned and walked toward the study at the end of the hall, returning a moment later with a scroll.
The scroll was about half an arm's length, its cream-colored silk cloth bordered with fine silver thread. A copper family seal was tied to the end. It was the permit to the next floor.
Natsuki Subaru took the scroll. The moment his fingertips touched the silk, a System notification popped up:
[Item: 81st Floor Entry Permit]
[Description: A passage credential bearing the seal of the Radir family, used to open the entrance to the 81st floor of the Demon Castle. The scroll cannot be damaged and can only be used by the holder.]
Natsuki Subaru unfurled the scroll, gave it a quick scan, and, following the System's prompt, rolled it back up and put it away.
"I've taken the permit."
"Since you have the scroll, you should honor our agreement and leave here immediately."
Abak's tone was still stiff, but the hostility was gone. He just watched Natsuki Subaru intently, even blinking with extra caution, afraid that his opponent would go back on his word and attack the family after getting the permit.
"Right, one more thing." As if he hadn't heard the urgency, Natsuki Subaru turned to the demon girl Esil beside him and continued in a calm voice,
"I'd like to ask Esil to continue guiding me. She mentioned before that she knows where the permits for the upper floors are kept. Having her along will save a lot of trouble."
"What?! What about my daughter's safety?" Abak seemed stunned, taking a step closer. His eyes were filled with worry, and his voice rose several octaves.
"She's going to the upper floors with you? Do you know how dangerous it is up there? It's crawling with high-ranking demons! What if she runs into danger? Can you guarantee my daughter's safety?"
"I guarantee it." Natsuki Subaru's reply was simple and direct, without any extraneous promises, yet it carried a conviction that was impossible to question.
"Until she has finished guiding me, I will not let any harm come to her."
Abak stared at Natsuki Subaru for a few seconds, then turned to his daughter, whose face was full of expectation. He finally sighed and conceded helplessly.
"Alright, I understand. But you remember this: if even a single hair on Esil's head is harmed, I'll stake my entire family to hunt you down."
"Then it's settled."
Natsuki Subaru gave a slight nod and said no more to Abak.
He could tell the latter half of that threat was a bluff.
After all, having fought through the first 80 floors, he was well aware of the upper limits of a demon family's strength. The Radir family posed no substantial threat to him now.
But from the old demon's tense tone, he could also sense his genuine concern for his daughter, Esil.
That affection added another layer to Natsuki Subaru's perception of demons.
However, at the moment, he was more concerned with his progress in conquering the Demon Castle.
Although the time ratio between the dungeon and the outside world was 10:1, meaning just over four hours had passed outside,
he had only just reached the 80th floor. The demon lords on the higher floors would be stronger, and the traps more complex. He estimated it would take another twenty-plus hours to continue his ascent.
I need to pick up the pace.
With that thought, Natsuki Subaru turned to Esil and said,
"Go pack what you need to bring. Keep it simple, don't take too much. We're heading to the next floor as soon as possible."
"Yes! Lord Subaru!"
The demon girl Esil nodded vigorously, a faint blush still on her cheeks, but her eyes shone as brightly as stars. She turned and ran quickly towards her room, her movements filled with excitement.
Getting to go with Lord Subaru to the upper floors was much more interesting than staying in the demon castle.
......
Demon Castle, 81st floor, the exclusive domain of the Laford family.
After passing through the portal, Natsuki Subaru and Esil arrived before a gloomy fortress.
The fortress was built of obsidian, its walls covered with sharp metal spikes. The air was thick with the mixed stench of sulfur and blood.
"Lord Subaru, this floor is under the complete control of the Laford family." Esil subconsciously clutched the straps of her backpack and edged closer to Natsuki Subaru, whispering,
"Their leader is named Grumm Laford. He's known for his violent temper and, more than anything, he's obsessed with the demon family rankings. The Radir family is one tier below them. In past family gatherings, he wouldn't even deign to look at us."
"Rankings?"
Natsuki Subaru's gaze swept over the fortress's closed iron gates as he asked casually.
"Our demon families are ranked by strength. Every five floors is a bracket. The stronger you are, the higher the floor you guard, and the higher your family's rank." Esil explained in detail in response to Natsuki Subaru's query.
"The Radir family guards the 80th floor, so we're considered a lower-mid tier. The Laford family guards the 81st floor, putting them exactly one tier above us. In terms of overall strength, their Demon Knights are about fifty percent stronger than our family's…"
Before Esil could finish, the fortress's massive, five-meter-high iron gate suddenly boomed. With the harsh screech of turning metal gears, it slowly swung inward.
A tall figure strode out from behind the gate, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
It was a demon with crimson skin, nearly three meters tall. Two curved black horns on his head were carved with intricate dark red patterns. He wore a suit of scale armor that shimmered like lava and held a greataxe longer than he was tall, gripping the handle with both hands.
"Grumm Laford!"
Esil's voice instantly tensed, and she instinctively shrank back.
Grumm stopped, his red pupils sweeping over Esil before a mocking smile twisted his lips.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little brat from the Radir family. What, did you bring some weirdly-dressed human to my territory? Has your family gotten so weak you need a human to back you up?"
Esil's face went deathly pale, but she forced herself to stand tall and reply,
"Lord Grumm, this is Lord Subaru! We just want to pass through this floor. If you would just hand over the permit, we…"
"Shut up!" Grumm roared, smashing his greataxe into the ground. Sparks flew as a fist-sized crater appeared in the obsidian floor.
"A lowly family from the 80th floor dares to negotiate with me? And this human next to you—"
Grumm's gaze finally fell on Natsuki Subaru, his eyes practically overflowing with contempt.
"So soft and delicate. I bet you've never even seen the claws of a lesser demon. And you dare to barge into our Demon Castle?"
"I'm not here to fight. I just want the permit to the next floor."
Natsuki Subaru stepped forward, discreetly shielding Esil, and spoke to Grumm in a level voice.
"Hand it over, and I can promise that the Laford family, including you and your knights, will remain unharmed."
"You want the permit?" Grumm threw his head back and laughed maniacally, as if he'd just heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Based on what? You, a human weakling? And this little brat from the Radir family who can't even defend her own territory? I think you came here to die... urk…"
But his laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Natsuki Subaru's eyes suddenly turned cold. The mana within him surged, and his Bloodlust skill activated without warning.
A terrifying, tangible pressure washed over the area like a tidal wave, and even the wind in the square seemed to freeze.
The hundreds of demon guards in black armor behind Grumm instantly began to tremble. Many couldn't stop themselves from taking half a step back, their longswords and shields clattering together as their breathing became ragged.
"I'll ask one last time." Natsuki Subaru's voice was bone-chilling, devoid of any warmth, as his gaze locked onto Grumm. "The permit. Are you handing it over or not?"
"Human, you think a little pressure is enough to scare me?!" The aura only served to stoke Grumm's ferocity. He whipped his head around and roared mockingly at the guards behind him.
"Kill them!"
"Hmph... So reasoning with demons really is pointless."
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but let out a soft snort.
The next second, the shadow behind him began to boil like agitated ink, and dense ranks of Shadow Soldiers poured out from within.
These Shadow Soldiers arranged themselves neatly on one side of the square. At a glance, their numbers were nearly double that of Grumm's guards. The oppressive black mass instantly made the atmosphere heavy.
"Crush them!"
At Natsuki Subaru's command, the Shadow Soldiers surged forward like a breaking black tide, instantly flooding the entire square.
Leading the charge, Shadow Knight Commander Igris was the first to engage, his longsword flashing with cold light as he cut down several demon guards in an instant.
These Shadow Soldiers, formed from pure shadow energy, displayed astounding combat discipline.
Their movements were far swifter and more precise than the demon guards'. They had no fear of death, and every slash was aimed at a vital point.
The clash of metal, screams of pain, and the sound of blades sinking into flesh rang out one after another, composing a symphony of death in the obsidian square.
"Im-impossible! My guard unit is being routed…"
Grumm watched as his meticulously trained demon guards fell one by one, his red pupils contracting in shock.
In just two and a half minutes, the battle was nearly over.
The last demon guard was simultaneously pierced by three long spears while trying to flee, letting out a final, bloodcurdling scream before collapsing to the ground.
Hundreds of demon corpses lay scattered across the square, their blackish-red blood pooling into small streams on the ground. The thick stench of blood filled the air.
"What... what kind of monster is this?"
Grumm's voice trembled with fear. His proud demon guard, these elites who had followed him into battle for years, couldn't even last three minutes.
Natsuki Subaru slowly walked across the corpse-strewn square. The Shadow Soldiers automatically cleared a path for him. He stopped ten paces from Grumm and drew the Kasaka's Venom Fang from his system inventory, saying flatly,
"Now, it's your turn!"
"Die, human!"
Grumm let out a heaven-shaking roar. The muscles all over his body bulged as he gripped his greataxe with both hands. The axe blade suddenly glowed red, and scorching flames erupted to a height of three meters, forming a massive fiery whirlwind.
Wherever the heatwave reached, the obsidian ground cracked and shattered. The rubble melted into crimson magma under the intense heat, and even the distant castle walls began to soften and deform.
"Such... such incredible power..."
Standing not far away, Esil was forced back several steps by the heatwave, instinctively raising her hands to shield herself.
BOOM—!
The flaming axe shadow, carrying destructive energy, cleaved towards Natsuki Subaru with unstoppable force. The searing blast distorted the very air.
Yet, faced with this world-shaking blow, Natsuki Subaru merely lifted his left hand, and a Shadow Barrier instantly unfurled.
The flames struck the barrier with a piercing, tearing sound but could advance no further.
"Is this the best you can do?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Grumm with a flat expression.
"What?!"
Grumm's eyes widened, his face a mask of disbelief.
In the instant he was stunned, Natsuki Subaru's figure blurred, and in the next moment, he appeared behind him.
A cold light flashed!
"There is an insurmountable wall between you and me."
Just as Natsuki Subaru's icy words fell, Grumm felt a bone-deep chill at his waist. He looked down to see a thin black line encircling his midsection.
Pfft—!
Dark red blood sprayed out as Grumm's upper body slowly slid off, crashing heavily to the ground. He reached out a hand in vain, watching as his lower body remained standing.
"Im… impossible…" Grumm's head rolled to the side, his eyes filled with unwillingness and fear. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but in the end, only managed a few broken syllables.
"To think I would... lose to a hum…"
His voice grew weaker and weaker until it faded completely, his life extinguished.
Almost at the same moment, a series of System notifications sounded in Natsuki Subaru's mind:
[Notification: You have eliminated the 81st Floor Demon Noble, Grumm Laford.]
[Notification: You have obtained the 82nd floor passage permit…]
[Notification: Obtained equipment Lava Greataxe…]
[Notification: Obtained equipment Crimson Flame Helm…]
[Notification: Level up…]
......
The demon girl, Esil, trotted over to Natsuki Subaru's side, her face full of admiration.
"Lord Subaru, you're amazing! Grumm was the strongest demon on the 81st floor! The demon lord from the 78th floor couldn't even break his scale armor, yet you did it in one strike…"
"We should head to the next floor."
Natsuki Subaru paid little heed to the demon girl's worshipful words. He simply sheathed his Kasaka's Venom Fang and turned to leave.
After all, he had only just cleared the 81st floor. There were still nearly twenty floors left to the top of the Demon Castle, and each one would be more difficult than the last. He had to pick up the pace.
"Wait for me, Lord Subaru!"
Esil hurriedly ran to catch up, her long purple hair flying behind her.
_____
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