Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



"Well, with 500,000,000 Dp you might have been able to put them to good use and expand your dungeon even more. It would not have slowed down the dungeon's progress. However, compared to the value of a Lumynar, it's nothing. You shouldn't think too much about it."

"Just throw him on the [Workshop] where Wisp is and see the magic. Soon you will be rejoicing that you bought him".

With Irene praising Prime that much, Simon had nothing much to say other than "I hope that is the case".

"By the way, what happened to your left eye?"

Amidst their discussion, Irene changed the topic to Simon's left eye with looked completely mismatched with his right. His left eye was now completely golden with gears like unique patterns in them. This was different from his right which was crimson with black sclera.

Simon covered his left eye with his palm and explained "It is the Celestial Ocularis. During the Hexennacht, I had the opportunity to stumble upon it and it chose me as its master. Right now, I still do not know what it does or why it chose me as its master. However, I will slowly find out about it".

With a tinge of anticipation, Simon glanced at Prime who was flopping on the table busily arguing with the Valkyries and the vampire twins.

"Celestial Ocularis huh" Irene studied Simon's left eye before muttering in a voice that only she could hear.

"To be chosen by one of the things that existed since the dawn of time, it looks like the Fragments within you have awakened and is slowly altering the course of your destiny".

"Did you say something?" Simon who was lost in his thoughts thinking about the peculiar vision he had when acquiring the eye, turned towards Irene hearing her mutter something.

"Possessing an eye like that is an indication of great potential and destiny. From now on you must do your best to learn the secret hidden within your left eye, as you train to get stronger side by side. Quickly make its abilities your own" Irene smiled, encouraging him with her words.

"Yeah, the eye will constantly serve as the reminder of the path I chose. No matter what happens, I will grow stronger and protect this dungeon" With determination flashing in his eyes, Simon resolved.

Even though the auction and the Hexennacht was laden with dangers this time, it was nevertheless these very factors that became the fuel for his motivation that burned like a raging fire inside him propelling him forward.

The complacent feeling that he had after reaching the rank of Demon Earl and becoming one of the true demon nobles, was gone.

The once powerful rank of Demon Earl, Simon was no longer satisfied with it. He wanted to climb higher and higher, Demon Marquess, Demon Duke and then there was the Ancient Demon Archdukes who looked down at the world from their lofty position.

They were the pinnacle a demon noble could only hope and yearn to reach. These legendary beings, with their unmatched might and dominion, held the power to shape the very fabric of the demon world.

However… "Even higher" Simon wanted to reach even higher…

Belial, the Demon Lord of Envy whose prestige, authority, and power towered over all the other demons present in the venue. That guy not only had the ability to make his own decisions, but also decide the fate of other demons.

The way his words became the absolute verdict that no demon in the venue dared to disobey, even going as far as to suppress their frustration and unwillingness and relent to his decree. It was still fresh in Simon's mind.

Someone who could do anything that they want, someone with the power to forge their own fate The very notion of reaching such heights stirred a burning ambition within him, fueling his desire to transcend the limits of his current rank.

As a Demon Earl, Simon had tasted the fruits of influence and authority, but he yearned for more. The Hexennacht and the events surrounding it had opened his eyes to the vastness of the Demon Continent and the potential that lay beyond his current station.

He realized that he had the path to extraordinary laid out for him since the beginning and was not limited to the ranks of Demon Marquess or Demon Duke, like the rest of the demons and extended even further—to the realm of the Ancient Demon Archdukes.

Yet, even the Ancient Demon Archdukes were not the ultimate pinnacle in Simon's eyes. He aspired to ascend even higher, to stand on equal footing with a Demon Lord himself, and stand at the true pinnacle of all beings.

Belial had shown him a tiny portion, a part of what it means to be a Demon Lord and the power that comes with it.

Being a Demon, an incarnation of desires, how could Simon not covet it? The allure of unparalleled power and authority was simply too irresistible even for Simon.

In a sense he had truly accepted his lineage and who he was. Though that said, there were hundreds of thousands of demons, if not even more who held the lofty ideals of becoming a Demon Lord.

However, all of this was just a pipe dream for them. Heck, even the beings who were closest to becoming a Demon Lord, the Demon Archdukes were helpless in this matter and can only dejectedly snuff away this dream of theirs which would always remain a dream.

So one could imagine what was it for the rest of the demons who were bound by their bloodlines. Forget about becoming a demon lord, just reaching the next rank might turn out to be impossible for most of the demons.

For them, simply advancing to the next rank was a daunting challenge. The bloodlines they inherited dictated their power and limitations, acting as a restrictive force on their aspirations.

The prospect of ascending to the ranks of Demon Marquess or Demon Duke seemed like an impossible feat, a distant mirage forever out of reach. It was a harsh reality that forced many demons to resign themselves to their predetermined roles and accept their place in the hierarchical structure.

So it was impudent no outright blasphemy for a mere Demon Earl to even have such thoughts. However, Simon was probably one of the few exceptions or the only one in this world who was not bound by this unwritten law of Althaea.

That is to say, as long as he had the [Main Menu] with him and strived to become stronger, he could ignore the bloodline limits that every being in this world was shackled to.

The [Main Menu] granted him the freedom to challenge the established order, to break the chains of convention, and to forge his own path. But even with this extraordinary tool at his disposal, Simon understood that becoming a Demon Lord was no ordinary feat.

It was a realm that transcended the boundaries of normal means. After all, to become the demon lord, one needed to be chosen by the fragments. These extraordinary and divine things that was still very much a mystery to him.

What were they, their purpose, origin and what secret they held, Simon did not know. But what he did know was that only the demons who possessed these Fragments, could become a Demon Lord.

This was something that Simon had learned after watching Belial closely. The latter was chosen by the Fragments of Envy and simply by being chosen by the fragments, he became the Demon Lord.

Simon recalled the words Gareth said in the last Walpurgis. The Demon Archduke had said that his son Belial was chosen by the Fragments of Envy thus filling the position as the new Demon Lord of Envy.

Simon might not know what was the exact nature and criteria for becoming a Demon Lord, but it was generally believed that it involves surpassing the boundaries of one's bloodline and rank.

It requires attaining a level of power, skill, and influence that sets the individual apart from their peers. That is to say, he who was chosen by the Fragments of Pride, had the potential to become the future Demon Lord.

It is for this reason that Simon believed that the path to the true pinnacle was already laid for him. All that was needed was for him to walk on it.

In the next few days, Simon devoted himself to training and upgrading his dungeon. Since becoming the Demon Earl ten months ago and reaching his current level which was level 536, his progress seemed to have come to a still. 

He was so busy training his existing and acquiring new skills that he had no time to increase his level. However, to become stronger a balance of all of these things is required. And so, to walk the path of the strong, Simon focused on increasing his level.

In the world of Althaea, the general way of increasing one's level is by fighting a strong opponent. However, that said just defeating any opponent will not lead to a level up. One needed to continuously push their body beyond its limits and defeat strong enemies to gather enough experience points to level up.

Every being in Althaea, whether weak or strong, possesses a certain level of mystical energy within them. When they die, the latent energy within them, which Simon likes to refer to as experience points to keep things simple, disperses into the surrounding environment.

This energy is a manifestation of their power, life force, and essence.