Chapter 72
Dane was escorted to the Six. Ogres, they admitted defeat and lowered their pride as they wanted to know if these beings were their creator based on the hint they heard and overly assumed everything as they could not believe an ordinary warrior could beat them. The gorge's intelligent and stronger inhabitants were like living in a separate space because many players that hunted on the gorge before never even encountered any living beings on the bottom floor. Many players reported that there is actually nothing down there but plants and overgrown trees.
This was before the quest of the Empire of Graves was activated. These living creatures suddenly just came to be, and all their memories were based on scripted and programmed behavior. Based on so many interconnected variables, the main system programming pulled all available data from these programs that Dane created personally in such cases. He assumed it would occur eventually, as he insisted on having self-evolving and adapting changes based on the main law of absolute freedom.
So Dane was overwhelmingly delighted in seeing one of these evolutions. The grey Ogre race was a surprise for Dane; they were crafted from the same design they created, but their personality and characteristics were completely unique and unexpected. This unexpected development added a new layer of complexity to Dane's main creation, sparking his curiosity and excitement for what other surprises may lie ahead in the evolving world he had created.
As they came into the Grey Ogre main camp, Dane was still in his Netherborn form. As soon as the other ogres saw him, they all took up arms, fearing he was an enemy, but
Bralthor the Grey Ogre orders his fellow warriors to put down their weapons. The oldest Ogre ran out from their main gathering hut; it was Bralthor's grandfather. He was holding the old book that he has protected over the years.
The book was bound in an acient leather and it was covered in mysterious runes that seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. As he approached Dane, the old ogre spoke in a language that the old ogre assumed Dane understood. As Dane recalled his memory, if the library had any stored information about the book the elder Ogre was holding,
Bralthor the Grey, with a low tone, informed Netherborn that his grandfather hadn't acquired the book within the gorge; it just manifested, and they all heard the voice from God saying this book is the codex and can only be opened and used by the one who wrote it.
Bralthor's grandfather introduced himself as Nukra. He lowered his head as a sign of respect as he could see the mana coming out of his body as chaos energy. Nukra explained that the book came into his possession, but he wasn't able to open it. Bralthor the Grey invited Dane toward their main hall. The small garrison-type camp was just enough to house about thirty ogres.
Dane noticed the grey ogres were more defined and slender-looking; their features were more toward being human-looking. They were average-looking compared to the Elvist race, but based on what Danne was seeing, they don't look like your average gruesome-looking ogres that he usually depicted in mythological books.
Their rough body and facial structure were similar to Vikings. The female ogres were lean and muscular but not bulky, and their eyes held a fierce intelligence and feminine radiance. Even Bralthor the Grey, their leader, looked more like a high-ranking berserker Viking. The only differences were their fangs, claws, pointy ears, and they all looked like they all had similar heights. The ogres moved with a sense of discipline and purpose, contrasting with the typical image of their kind as brutish and chaotic.
Most of the ogres in the small camp base were in full armor, and all of them had battle scars on their bodies. Bralthor the Grey had one huge scar on his chest, and they saw this as a symbol of their achievements in fighting and surviving a hunt. As Dane entered the main tent structure, it had a bonfire and resembled a typical majlis tent. .
Four female warriors were inside the large tent, standing guard at the far corner in full armor, and the bonfire was at the very center. The interior was comfortable, and it had hand-stitched pillows filled with wool. There was an altar made from a large slab of flat granite rock, and a hid leather beast was made as a mantle to honor their gods as a large war hammer was resting against it. The arrangement in the tent was to sit on the ground that was covered with handmade thick straw matting. The tent can hold about a dozen people seated around the bonfire.
The atmosphere was filled with a sense of reverence and strength, as the women exchanged knowing glances with Dane, acknowledging his presence with a slight nod, but they were trying to keep their bodies from trembling too much, Nukra. Offered Dane a seat
And politely told him that he was among friends and he should not be wary of lowering his guard. A fox suddenly came toward the campsite as the Orges were startled, seeing a beast like it. But the five ogres told the others that this creature is their guest, a summoned pet. One ogre was scared just looking at it. All of the Grey Ogre were sensitive to mana; they could see the energy very clearly.
"Are you sure that thing won't kill us?"
"I hope it won't. We six saw what that beast can do on the battlefield."
"The remaining rock lizard army that survived the tour guest's magic attack was brutally slaughtered to death by that thing.,"
"Huh! He faced an army of rock lizards. How
"It just happened; our guest just cast a nonstop dual attack spell and destroyed the army that was already running toward us."
"We all felt a large tremble and a huge explosion. Was that the spell he used?"
"We hardly face any mages here in the gorge, but we did thwart a lich before his power was nothing compared to what we saw."
"It's like comparing a fire ant facing ,a red fire salamander."
"And that thing is our current guest pet?"
"Yes, we all saw it come out from its body, like it was part of his armor clothing."
"what?" "huh!"
"Remember we once hunted a chimera, but that thing is far different than a chimera?" "
"a fox body with nine serpent living tails, four wings, and sharp talons."
"It's not a chimera; it's totally different!"
"So if you value your life, you better lower your weapon."
Kitsune walked toward where its master was located, and with each step it took, it became smaller. Its huge, fearsome look slowly changed until it reached the tent's opening and entered as a small fox about a foot long in size. Its nine tails were still very much visible. The transformation was both impressive and intimidating, showcasing the true power of the formless armor's third manifestation.
Nukra. Saw the fox, and even in its small form it was emanating such strong mana. Nukra asked their guest if there was a possibility to lower their mana, as they feared it might attract strong monsters in the gorge. Dane gestured as the small fox, to the ogre's surprise, ran toward their guest and shapeshifted into a metallic liquid and merged with his clothing.
Nukra was shocked to see this happen in front of him, and even Bralthor the Grey Ogre was still amazed seeing it again, as they were not that far when they first saw the creature come out from his body.
Nukra was already seated on the ground when the book that was still in his hands started to shake and glow, as if it was reacting toward something. Dane changed the mask he was wearing, covering only the lower half of his face. And stop all the mana in his body from manifesting. The sudden change was an amazing feat, especially in front of the grey ogres that had the natural ability to see and sense mana energy.
The being that had a huge, heavy, and thick chaos energy became an ordinary person. Even when he forced them into melee combat, they could still sense small amounts of mana in him, enough to protect him from getting fatally wounded, but this time he was normal, not a single ounce of mana coming from his body.
Dane introduced himself and shared a reason why he had to hide his real form. He told Nukra the name he was using to represent him was Netherborn, but seeing how the grey ogre piqued his curiosity, as they weren't part of the characters she designed for the game, Dane wanted to clearly gain an understanding of how they came to be.
Nukra continued to explain that their race suddenly woke up and came to be; they all felt they had woken up from a deep sleep and just appeared in this area. The elder pointed out that because they felt and looked different, they had to quickly adapt to their new home. Until the book suddenly came into their possession, it only opened when it wanted to share information; besides those moments, nobody in their race could open it.
The first information they received was about the book's background and where it came from. Nukra added that the book itself can communicate by showing its response from the first few black pages of the book, but the rest of the pages were sealed and could never be accessed..
Many magical beings came to attack them as the book was manifesting a strong mana presence. As it also changes its physical body.
It was now twice the thickness, and the design looked more defined as Nukra noticed the metallic design of the codex book had symbols of a snake, an owl, and a fox. Dane saw the design and just didn't react, as it was too soon to assume anything. Coincidence maybe, but those were the same animal manifestations of the formless armor that it took from his subconsciousness.
Bralthor the Grey Ogre was also seated beside his grandfather and informed him the reason they were here was because of the message the book gave them; the tale of the nameless god came from the book also. The details were a bit vague and unclear, as if the story was still being created.
The tale of the Grey Ogre clan was openly shared, and this made Dane more curious. He has so many questions, but he can't just ask them directly. Their existence was created based on the change in the tower, but the question is, why now?
Dane understands that the tower's main system is created to function reasonably. Based on the players decision and action per quest and mission . creating a new species and race are within his expected possibilities. He wonders if the Grey Ogre clan will play a significant role in the tower's future quests and missions, or if they are simply a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Either way, Dane is eager to uncover more about this mysterious new addition to this world.
As he recalled the original virtual game, the gorge was never this deep and filled with so many living creatures inside it. The fact that the demon spider queen is currently also living under the fog within the gorge has changed the tower dynamic entirely.
"Did the main system change the layout based on what I did?"
"The only thing I could recall concerning the codex was the grimoire spell book that Umeda Makoto, my equipment designer, sent me for the Seraph Quest."
"Is this similar to grimoire spell book equipment, that Umeda Makoto created for the upper floors?"
"It was meant to be the first grimoire that will start the expansion of the magic tower's influence."
"Unfortunately, I am not sure if the main system changed the layout based on my actions,"
"But it is possible that Umeda Makoto's equipment design she sent me in the past resurfaces and is meant for the second floor opening ,"
"Everything that happened seems to point toward the upcoming raid at Karion; the second floor is where magic spells are highly important."
"It seems the players have forgotten that the second floor going up to the fifth floor are all related to magic; most quests and battles are centered around utilizing magical abilities and strategies."
"As all beings on those floors use grimoire books as their primary artifact in battle."
Dane asked Nukra if the Codex gave them specific information concerning its creator. When the codex suddenly stopped time inside the tent, everybody inside the tent stopped moving, and a familiar voice spoke to him.
"Hello, Damon, or should I call you Dane now?"
"It's you, Umeda Makoto. It's been a while, my dear friend."
"Dane, I am happy that you are doing well. Before anything else, I would like to tell you certain things that you need to know."
"This AI was created based on the sample you gave me. As you know, my expertise is in design rather than programming, but I did my best. I hope my humble personality gets represented in this form."
"Even with limited programming knowledge, I believe I was able to capture my essence in this AI. I hope it serves its purpose well."
"Anyway, Dane, remember this: so many things will happen that might look unreal and confusing on your end. Sadly, even a genius such as yourself is still not perfect."
"Your mind created so many defense mechanisms to save you from losing control, you question almost everything, and you focus too much on many things that may not even matter in the grand scheme of things."
"We were all amazed and happy to work with you in creating the virtual game Arcane Crusade, even if we only met a few times, but it was enough to see what kind of a person you are. We always admired your talent and dedication in making the best virtual game."
"We saw how important family is, for the time when we all first met was at your family's farm. Remember that all of your cousins joined to welcome us with open arms."
"It made all of us so happy and grateful to be a part of your life, even if it was just for a short time. Your kindness and hospitality left a lasting impression on all of us."
"Everybody saw you as a very talented game designer and a real developer; your ideas and coding skills are above reproach. Your passion for creating immersive gaming experiences was truly inspiring to all of us."
"We eleven that work with you saw your dedication, your smile, and your sadness in the past."
"We all agree that the pain of your parents passing was a burden that kept you more isolated than before."
"Every time we talked via our personal terminal hub, we all could see the pain and heartbreak as you kept pretending you were fine and putting on a brave face."
"It's important to remember that it's okay to lean on others for support during those difficult times, and we are here for you whenever you need us."
"Your well-being is just as important as your work, and we want to make sure you know that you were not alone in dealing with your grief back then."
"That is why we created our own avatars to help you here. Remember the time you sent me a sample AI program you were working on relating to our parents and you asked my opinion about it?"
"Yes, I remember that. That creation broke everything I learned. You created something that was far ahead of its time. I shared that sample with the rest of the team, and they all agreed on the same thing."
"You might see things differently, but, honestly, Dane, you are truly amazing beyond understanding."
"When we created our AI representing us, we were hoping that our contribution would remain here as a testament to our achievements."
"These were supposed to be a surprise gift for you. This was when we were still in our prime."
"I am happy that I was able to meet you again, and I see you already met
Derick Collins' avatar,
"What do you mean?"
"The formless armor you are using is his creation, but it's still incomplete."
"Haven't you forgotten that Derick Collins had a huge crush on your cousin?"
"who?"
"She was Addison Lazarus."
"Ah, so that's why the formless armor manifested a fox; it was a tribute to Addison Lazarus, who loved foxes."
"Sadly, our conversation will eventually get cut off. You created a very meticulous and intriguing system."
"Remember we all died, not in a natural way, my friend. Nexus lied to us. If they find out you are alive, they will come after you too."
"The old gods didn't just randomly create this place out of anger and hate toward them losing humanity's faith in them."
"It's a very complicated origin story that involves betrayal, greed, manipulation, and control."
"We eleven secretly dedicated our remaining days to helping you until we all knew the truth."
"WARNING: TIME DISTORTION IS ILLEGAL AND PUNISHABLE BY TOWER LAW."
"Be cautious, my dear friend; the system that saved you was created by your own …"
"TIME DISPLACEMENT IS NOW BEEN TERMINATED; WITHIN A MINUTE ALL EVENTS WILL RESUME."
" ANOMALLY HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, TRACKING AND OBTAINING DATA ON ITEM THAT CREATED THE ERROR…."
"ITEM RESIDUAL ENERGY WILL BE EXTRACTED FOR FURTHER STUDY AND ANALYSIS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION."
"ITEM IS RELATED TO THE SECOND FLOOR. ANOMALY HAS BEEN CATEGORIZED AS DATA INFLUX AND COULD NO LONGER ESTABLISH LINK."
"CONDITION, STABLE, PROCEED WITH EXTRA CAUTION AS WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION MAY BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS.
"SENDING INVESTIGATORS TO ANALYZE THE SOURCE OF THE ANOMALY AND GATHER MORE INFORMATION TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE DISRUPTIONS."
"DELETION MAY OCCUR."
"COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED … 3... 2... 1 "
Soon Dane saw the ogre move again and continued their conversation as if nothing happened. But Dane suspected that the Administrators might now investigate this matter, and the grey ogres' and the demon queens' appearance in the gorge will be seen as errors and deemed to be corrected by terminating them all at once,
Dane deduced this based on the information Umeda Makoto gave; it was brief, but it was enough to regain some forgotten situation from other people's perspectives and memories. The hardest part of interacting with other people was knowing what they were actually thinking.
Dane was oblivious to these, as his savant syndrome was keeping him away from truly experiencing real human emotions and social cues. This made it difficult for him to connect with others on a deeper level, leaving him feeling isolated and misunderstood. Despite this, Dane found solace in his ability to analyze situations objectively and make decisions based on logic rather than emotion.
While Nukra was sharing details of the rest of his race members, Dane raised his hand, and this prompted the Ogre to stop and understand their guest was about to say something important. Dane activated his assessment branch skill and scanned the area. It had a limited range of a 10-meter radius, but it was enough to confirm that the grey ogre in the small base camp was infected with a small amount of poisoning and malnutrition.
The codex book continued to send magical language and information to Dane as the library caretakers were compiling the newly created books in his subconscious mind for safekeeping.
He asked Nukra to return to their main village as soon as possible, as his visit here has triggered the tower guard to investigate this place. Remaining here will lead to severe consequences for their entire clan. Nukra nodded in understanding. Quickly, Bralthor the Grey Ogre, hearing this, stood up and left the main tent and ordered the rest to quickly pack everything so they would return back home.
Suddenly another unexpected visitor came. But this time it wasn't related to their guest. This creature was considered a calamity on its own. The harvester of souls, the blood monarch
Of the west, Black Mountain, the only creature that was able to defeat and cripple a primordial dragon, has descended from its domain and set foot into the very heart of their campsite.
The dark mana swirling in its body wasn't as strong as the netherborn, but it was known that the Melgil, the Demon Queen of Spiders, was a voracious eater; she has been seen eating her own offspring to satisfy her hunger. 40-foot salamanders and even war trolls were powerless to stop her insatiable appetite.
And now she has chosen to invade their camp. Her body was strong enough to stop adamite steel, and her corrosive projectile saliva could melt even dragon scales. Melgil has three forms. Her first form stood 10 meters tall in full arachnid form and focused on high defense, while her second form, with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a spider, was 4 meters tall and was for strategic attacks, and her third form was unseen until now.
The humanoid-looking, naked, beautiful woman with long white hair and red eyes walked toward the tent. The ogres knew it was Melgil, even if her appearance had changed, because his mana core was still recognizable. The female ogre warrior that was guarding the tent suddenly attacked and used their adamite javelin and lunged toward the 5-foot-8 seductive and attractive Melgil. As the sharp weapon shattered into pieces, she did not kill the female ogre guards, but she simply tossed them so quickly that even Bralthor the Grey Ogre couldn't see.
Nukra soon came out and pleaded with Melgil. As he was about to kneel down, Dane was standing behind the ogre elder. Melgil lunged toward Dane and affectionately hugged him, whispering words of reassurance and gratitude for giving her the freedom to choose her own fate.
"Thank you for giving me freedom. I shall swear my loyalty to you forever," she whispered, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.
" I will serve you, even if I have to destroy everything in my path," she declared with unwavering determination.
"I will love you eternally and offer you my entire body your wife."
" huh?"
Dane was utterly confused in what was happening now.