Chapter 23 23 – The Differences
"Stay here, Ritor," I ordered the minotaur as we arrived at the legendary well after a four-day journey from the base. "Sorry, but I really don't want the keeper to get angry seeing you."
He bowed down. "No problem, my lord. I will…."
"Just leave it to me, Your Majesty!" Another minotaur, with dark gray fur and holding a spiked club, pointed at his chest with his thumb. "I, Garthur, will take over for General Ritor! I will take good care of you!"
Ritor looked fiercely at that creature I had just made in the base. Garthur hastily lowered his head.
"I like your spirit, Garthur." I chuckled. "Let's go."
When I was about to look at the well, I found that Xenora was still pouting and averted her eyes from me. She uses a human form without wings and horns. Her casual dress is also ordinary like the women of this world, much more covering her body than her regular skimpy clothes.
Apparently, she didn't like the way she looked now.
I pinched both of her cheeks, tugging at them until she looked like she was smiling. "You won't be able to smile anymore at this rate, you know. Come on, don't frown like this."
Instead of following my words, she puffed her cheeks instead. Her face became funnier, triggering me to laugh.
"Everything will be as it was again, Xenora." Phisovia stroked the black-haired succubus' hair. "When we return to base later."
Well, actually, I'm not annoyed with Xenora's behavior. She actually looks even more adorable.
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We then looked into the well one by one. I'm the last one, but I told Ritor first before doing that. "Thank you for showing me the insides of this well, Ritor. Maybe this place will be the key for us to rule over humanity."
"I am very flattered by your words, my lord." The minotaur replied with a salute. "But, it was you who showed me this place. I was only carrying out your orders."
I smile. "Until later then."
As I saw in Ritor's memory, my body felt like it was being pulled by an invisible force as I looked into the well. My eyes could only see the pitch-black darkness as my body plunged. Then, I saw a point of light that was getting bigger and bigger.
I pierced through that point of light and arrived at the purple-glowing cave.
"This is amazing," I muttered as my body slowly descended. This place did look more beautiful than the ones I saw in Ritor's memory.
Phisovia looked around. "It's so beautiful. It doesn't match its name at all, the undead cave."
"Szur wonders if this glowing moss is edible." Szur rubbed the glowing object on a rock.
Phisovia looked disdainfully at the little creature, but Szur didn't notice it.
As soon as I landed on the ground, I found that the descent leading to the exit was close to us, only a few feet away.
"I can't wait to fight those monsters, my lord!" Instead of focusing, Garthur looked like a child who had received a gift.
"I'm not sure, Garthur." I walked towards a turn that was opposite the descent. My subordinates then followed behind me. "This place is a bit different from the one Ritor told me about."
Yeah, the descent shouldn't be at the arrival point. And the turn looked different from the one in Ritor's memory.
"Well, I wish we didn't have to run into monsters." Phisovia shrugged. "I'd rather make love than fight."
"You guys wait here first." I gave orders to Szur and Garthur just as we were about to reach the turn. "Come out when I give you the signal."
And as I thought, I came to a dead end when I turned there. The keeper was sitting quietly without wearing a helmet, showing her face that looked uninspired.
"If you want a Ragmonuk weapon, forget it." She said in a toneless, robotic voice. "Because of an asshole who didn't comply with the procedures, the magic system in this cave was damaged. No weapons can be formed automatically anymore."
Is that also why this cave is no longer a maze and has become much smaller?
[Name: ???]
[Race: Supreme Undead]
[Rank:-]
I raised my wings and horns and, at the same time, returned my eyes to a fiery red. The keeper took his giant sword and pointed it at me.
My two succubi are also ready to attack. Phisovia's hair grew long and twitched like tentacles, while Xenora spread her legs in a pose like the kungfu master.
I raised a hand, signaling them not to do anything.
"My name is Vorn." I walked over to the keeper. "I came here not to attack you but to make an offer to you."
The keeper tilted her head. "Vorn? Where have I heard that name?"
"He is the reincarnation of the greatest demon lord in this world," Phisovia explained with a warm smile.
The keeper's eyes narrowed. "Aah, I think I've heard the legend about him."
"So, do you want to hear an offer from me?" I put on a smile. "I can say that you have no more purpose after this cave's magic system is broken, right?"
Yes, this situation is a stroke of luck for me. Without that magic system malfunction, I'd have a hard time finding a reason to persuade her.
"I'm not evil, you know? Well, that doesn't mean I'm on the light side either." A bitter laugh escaped the keeper's mouth. "So, how dare you claim that you're a demon lord in front of me?"
"Because I don't want to hide anything from you." I snapped my fingers, triggering Szur and Garthur to come out of their hiding places. "Those two and these women are my loyal followers."
After getting a nod from me, my two succubi raised their wings, horns, and tails.
However, all that did not make the keeper flinch in the slightest.
"Were you the one who sent that minotaur asshole to me? The one who broke this cave's magic system?" The keeper's tone sharpened. Her gaze fell on Garthur.
"I apologize to you on his behalf, but I don't necessarily ask him to act like that," I explained in a slow and careful tone. The keeper's reaction was still within my expectations. "I only asked him to help a human. However, he overreacted."
The keeper raised an eyebrow. "A demon lord asks one of his lackeys to help humans? Did I hear wrong?"
"We are different from the group of demons in stories. We are…"
Before I finished speaking, the keeper stepped forward while raising her sword. I was about to catch that weapon with one hand, but Xenora suddenly stood in front of me.
I widened my eyes as splatters of blood flew through the air. That sword just slashed Xenora's body.