Alone

Amon's gaze briefly met Amato's as the gates that had allowed them inside closed once again.

Behind Amato, Amon saw Awa, the third prince, and the royal guards, all flashing him cold gazes as they abandoned him without a care.

For a second, Amon froze, unable to believe what was happening. Even the Lich seemed momentarily stunned, not believing what it had just witnessed.

But soon, Amon began to laugh. His head whipped back as he held his belly and covered his face, letting out a pure laugh—the first since he'd found out the prince's secret ten years ago. This time, he didn't stop, laughing for minutes on end without holding anything back.

[...]

Mordred remained silent, watching her father slowly but surely succumb to years of endless pressure and oppression.

After a while, his laugh calmed down. To think that after all this, once again, he'd be betrayed and abandoned. His mother had done so at birth. His father had done so for a period. Sarah and Abel had done so by lying to him and ruthlessly selling him to Prince Kuwan, knowing the torture that lay ahead. And now, his two other 'comrades' had abandoned him without looking back. He'd once again been betrayed and thrust into an even deeper layer of hell. It was unbelievable.

On the other side, the Lich stood, seemingly waiting for Amon to notice her once more. Frankly, she found their decision stupid. After Amon had started using his full power and cracked her skull, if they'd capitalized on this opportunity, they could've killed her and moved on to the next floor.

"Despite your cold demeanor, you're quite naive, eh?"

It wasn't the Lich who'd spoken but rather the man of stone, who'd magically appeared seated above the white orb. Immediately, the Lich bowed.

"You didn't really do much to integrate yourself into their dynamic and purposefully alienated yourself both because of your pride and false sense of confidence. You were convinced you would come out of here alive, so you became careless."

He caressed his chin of stone.

"It is a curse and a blessing to have such resplendent pride. It may be the key to your rise but it may also be the reason for your demise." He floated down. "Let this be the first of many lessons I give you, child—never move carelessly on a board you do not control."

Looking directly into Amon's turbulent blue eyes, on the verge of collapse, he smiled.

"But I cannot be too harsh; you've done well for yourself so far. To go from a mere mortal boy to this, without losing your heart? It can be said that you truly were once pure and now, in some way, are even purer. To be thrust into such violence without preparation and not losing yourself is a feat you must take pride in."

Amon's pupils trembled as he heard the man of stone casually reveal some of his deepest truths. Though he hadn't said it, it was clear the man knew Amon's story.

Seeing his shock, the man of stone laughed.

"Oh, boy! You have much to learn. May you survive this, I truly will have fun."

With these final words, the man faded to bits and ashes, leaving Amon to stew in his own confusion and thoughts, just like General Coldsaw had done all those years ago.

Amon closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, exhaling as he then slowly opened his eyes. The storm within hadn't calmed down, but now it was directed.

He would get this inheritance, clear this dungeon, then return to Earth to deal with his old demons. For too long had he tried to push it all to the back of his mind.

PAH!

His spear shot into the palm of his hand, and simultaneously, the undead, which had frozen upon the man of stone's arrival, all re-awakened and pounced on Amon.

With a casual sweep, he cleared a good chunk of the incoming undead, his gaze locking onto the Lich.

His knees bent, and he shot forward.

SHAH!

His cells, finally fueled by aether, funneled an endless amount of strength into him as his mind, driven by years of rage and dedication, fully focused and fell into a trance.

Swings, cleaves, slices, and thrusts intertwined to form a beautiful yet deadly dance that fluctuated from the complex to the simple, as if unable to settle.

At times, he swung with the brutality of a dragon's roar, and at others, he sliced with the rhythm of crashing waves, while at others, he thrust with the edge of falling lightning.

Atmospheric aether flowed in and out of him without end, sometimes enhancing his body, sometimes enhancing his attacks, and sometimes being used via his two floating spears.

The Lich soon found herself overwhelmed, unable to follow as Amon pulled more and more upon the strength he'd worked for over the last century.

BANG!

For the umpteenth time, her ribs broke, and Amon's hand shot forward, grabbing onto her skull as his power of decay rapidly began to tear her down.

"EEHHHHHHHH!"

She shrieked in rage, her emerald aether becoming chaotic as explosions began to occur all around her. But with a ruthless gaze, Amon ignored it all and formed a shield of atmospheric aether around him.

Seeing his own ability wasn't enough to fully decay the Lich's skull, he immediately began to funnel aether into his hand, weaving runes and spells within his mind to enhance his decay.

While it was true that because he hadn't formed an aether mark, he couldn't access his innate aether to launch spells, he'd found a solution to this a long time ago.

Once again, he'd simply never revealed it for fear of the prince's actions. He could only launch two low-tier spells—enhance and heal, but for this, it'd be enough.

The Lich's screams had barely begun to echo when its bones of black fire began to fade, and more cracks appeared along its skull.

The emerald flames that burned within its eye sockets began to dim.

"Thank you for allowing me to win."