Damian used both hands to push open the stone door, revealing a large table before him. It resembled a macabre feast where all the attendees wore masks to conceal their faces.
The same mask adorned each person: that of a goat. Except for one, who sat at the head of the table, in the most important chair.
It was Miller. His mask resembled a demon, possibly his true form.
"You've arrived," Miller said, rising from his seat. "Please, have a seat."
Fear tried to engulf Damian, but he remained composed. Those masked individuals didn't appear formidable. Only Miller posed a threat.
Without uttering a word, Damian moved towards one of the vacant chairs and took a seat.
Everyone present was intrigued by Damian's true identity. Miller had informed them prior to his arrival, and the only thing they knew was that Damian was skilled in necromancy and blood magic.
He didn't even know his name, not that he knew the name of anyone sitting at that table. He didn't care about such trivialities.
"What do you think of the place?" Miller asked, spreading his arms.
Damian surveyed the room. In addition to the stone table in the center, there was some kind of altar behind Miller, and the only illumination came from torches.
The foul stench of feces and urine he had sensed upstairs was no longer present, but there was a different smell. Blood. Yes, blood. Damian knew it all too well.
However, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to complain. Crossing his legs and using his hand to prop up his chin, he said, "Honestly, this place reeks. Are these people with you a bunch of swine?"
As soon as Damian said that, one of the masked individuals slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "Who do you think you are to say that?"
Miller sensed the tension in the air and said, "Calm down. I may have just met him, but I agree with him."
That struck a blow to the masked individual, who bit their lip beneath the mask and accepted defeat. If Miller was speaking, everyone there had to agree.
Miller spoke aloud to everyone, "Could you all leave? I need to have a private conversation."
One by one, they exited the room, opening the stone door and closing it behind them, ascending back to the cabin. In total, there were about twelve people, plus the mercenary who was still upstairs.
Only Damian and Miller remained in the room. The two locked eyes for a few seconds, both silent.
"Do you really have information about the golden key?" Miller asked, narrowing his eyes.
Damian already anticipated that he would ask such a question and replied, "Yes. But our agreement still stands. First, books of dark magic, dominion over Lemoria, and a decent position for me."
"Are you asking for too much?" Miller questioned.
"Asking for too much?" Damian laughed. "Considering the kind of lackeys you have around here, you should be grateful to have me by your side."
Miller tapped his fingers on the table, "Well, that's true. They're a bit useless. Unfortunately, I've lost my entire army, and I can't seek help from other demons, especially now that you have information about the key."
He wanted to find and deliver the golden key to the underworld king, claiming all the glory for himself. Damian knew it would be that way, and that was one of the reasons he was so confident in his plan.
Of course, Damian had no intention of truly helping Miller with anything. It was just a way to stay close to him, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Damian had hoped to have some time to prepare, but the next sentence Miller uttered made him think otherwise.
"I'm finishing up recruiting a few more people, and in a week, I believe we'll have an army of a thousand! Some of them are quite powerful, like you, so it shouldn't be difficult to conquer Lemoria."
'A week!' Damian exclaimed inwardly.
A week was all he had to become stronger, strong enough to stop Miller before the city was taken over. Despite his recent rapid progress, Damian wasn't confident he would become powerful enough in time unless he fully embraced the dark side...
"Very well," Damian said, hiding his surprise. "Anything else I should do in the meantime?"
Miller rose from his chair and went behind the altar, returning with a few thick books.
"These are books on necromancy and some on blood magic as well. They're highly valuable, so don't mention to any demon that I gave them to you. After we conquer Lemoria, you WILL have to tell me about the key, or..."
"Or you'll end my life. Do you think I'm a fool?" Damian said, accepting the books from Miller's hand. "I'll be nearby during this week, and in seven days, we meet here?"
"Correct."
After the conversation, Damian left that place, carrying his books and already thinking of ways to rapidly increase his power, quickly enough to be able to kill Miller in a week!
He flew away from that place after storing his new books inside his spatial ring.
'I think I should spend my points on something...' Damian thought.
Damian had obtained a good amount of Erotic Coins to use at the store, and at that moment, there was only one thing that interested him, something that would be crucial for his power increase task.
"Teleportation ability!"
His blood magic was the only thing capable of enhancing his strength quickly, but Damian was hesitant to kill more people in that region, especially considering the mental change the ability had caused him.
That's why he was seeking a teleportation method to reach a distant place, where he could commit the necessary barbaric acts without the risk of being discovered.
Damian came across an ability called <Space and Time Magic>.
It cost around 230 coins - a high amount, but one that Damian possessed - and this particular ability promised to be quite powerful.
As soon as Damian acquired it, a book appeared in front of him titled 'Ancient Space and Time Magic'.
'Let me read about this ability.'
<Space and Time Magic: Enhances the power of spells related to this element by 70%. <Increases the learning speed of spells of this element by up to 100%.>
An amazing ability, and it even came with a book filled with powerful spells! Damian flipped through the pages of the book, and the first spell he wanted to learn was called Anchor.
This spell allowed Damian to create a secure point, a location to which he could teleport back at any time. There was a distance limit, of course, but it covered approximately 5000 kilometers, which would be more than enough.
Damian had 7 days to become stronger, and he needed to learn the Anchor spell as quickly as possible, preferably within a day at most!
Therefore, the first thing Damian did was find a secluded place, the best possible location to learn his new magic. He came across a waterfall a bit far from the city, a place that received some visitors during the day but hardly anyone at night.
Damian sat on a rock near the waterfall, took out his book, and began reading the Anchor spell attentively. It was already night, and the stars shone brightly in the sky. The silence and the evening breeze helped Damian relax and focus on his learning.
He was confident that he would succeed.
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