Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



It appeared that the reason they were brought here was because of the dungeon. To be used as disposables to help the adventurers clear the dungeon.

This was his chance, with the place oozing with monsters, he would have numerous opportunities to die. The weretiger was determined to his fate, but maybe somewhere in his heart, he was still unresigned.

Maybe because he still wanted revenge. To tear these bastards apart who used the demihumans especially the females as nothing but pleasure relieving tools.

A fate of a slave especially a female was very miserable. He wondered what happened to the females of his tribe who were enslaved. Maybe they have already died? Or maybe they are still living just like the ones in front of him, suffering every day?

This was a nightmare but just like everything in this world, the nightmare too came to an end one day.

"Hey you, keep on moving. if there is anything up ahead, you are to stop it with your body and buy us time. You understand?"

One of the adventurers kicked him and a Dark Elf who are currently being used as the vanguard for this expedition. Even if he said vanguard, they were just meat shields being used to slow down monsters and stop the traps. 

It was a dark passageway that was filled with all sorts of traps. The adventurer guild had found a hidden passage on this floor and was currently in the midst of clearing it.

The passageway opened up to reveal a huge chamber ahead. Two huge doors were blocking their way.

"This is it, that broker was indeed speaking the truth. There really is a hidden chamber on the 58th floor that hasn't been found by any of the other adventurer guilds or parties yet. We are the first one" The adventurer who seemed to be the leader, stated excitedly.

"Then doesn't that mean nobody has gotten their hands on the treasure inside the chamber yet? We will be the first ones to discover the secrets here"

The guild eagerly entered the hidden chamber. However, what they found inside made their blood go cold.

An enormous monstrosity was waiting for them on the other side of the chamber, its crimson unfeeling eyes staring at them coldly.

THUNK… to make matters worse, the door to the chamber shut closed behind them. No matter what they did, it refused to budge. There was no doubt, they had fallen inside a trap, the whole chamber was a trap.

Left with no choice the adventurers could only fight the giant monstrosity known as the Earth Golem.

"What are you useless demihumans doing? I order you all to rush forward and stop that thing" the leader ordered.

Thanks to the collar on his and the other slave's necks, disobeying the order was impossible. Their bodies moved on their own and they rushed towards the Earth Golem. However, the difference between their strength was simply too overwhelming.

The earth golem used its enormous arms and easily swept them away. He and other slaves were sent flying and crashed into the walls of the chambers.

"Tch useless… all of you get into formation if we can't defeat this golem here, we will all die" the adventurers shouted.

For a while, the chamber echoed with the powerful explosion noises and the shouts of the adventurers before everything became silent.

The weretiger and the other slaves looked at the scene with delight. Of course, their eyes were blank and unfeeling; however, one could still see a minuscule of an emotion deep within them.

The adventurers were all killed, seeing their blood and gore littering the floor, one cannot explain how sweet of a feeling he felt at that time.

Revenge was truly sweet. With the adventurers gone, he was determined to die as well. However, the death that they expected did not come for them.

The giant earth golem became motionless after killing the adventurers. Its crimson eyes turned blue and it swiftly went back to its position.

Now left with nothing to do, he and the other slaves stood where they were all motionless. Their spirits and souls had all been broken, as such they were nothing but empty dolls inside that moved when given the command.

Therefore they simply waited for death in that chamber. However, no one would have expected that they would meet 'him' at the end of their rope.

The doors to the chamber was opened once again and a group entered. That said, the group that entered this time did not resemble humans, especially the man that was leading them.

He had dark black eyes and crimson pupils, two sturdy horns protruded from his head. He emitted a fierce demonic presence that was filled with a malevolent aura and was glaring at them unbiasedly.

Looking at those features, the weretiger arrived at a conclusion.

'A Demon!!' Although this was his first time looking at one, he had nevertheless heard about them.

"It looks like their minds have been broken. Their bodies might just as well be soulless dolls now. No wonder the Earth Golem did not kill them" the Demon muttered.

Judging by the way he unsheathed his sword, he was deliberating whether to kill them or not. Just when it seemed like their life would end from the swing of that sword and all their misery would be over, the group walking behind the demon seemed to have said something to him and changed his mind.

The demon turned towards them once again, this time there was some hesitation in his eyes. In the end, he did not kill them.

'Why? Why would he do that? Just kill me and the others already, there is no meaning to this life any more' the weretiger thought.

They were taken to a dark dreary place that seemed to be a prison and kept there for a while.

Time passed silently inside that prison, the weretiger that was determined to die, suddenly found seemed to recall the face of the demon inside his mind.

What should he do from here? Would the demon too use them as expendable slaves? Though it seemed unlikely, he could tell that the demon had no such intentions. It would be best if the other party killed them… but was that really what he wanted.

The image of his daughter and wife came into his mind, it was a happy memory. He was relishing in those memories when the scenes changed, his village that was burning, and his people were being enslaved.

He was fighting the opponents; however, he was outnumbered and was ultimately brought down. One cruel scene after another flashed inside his mind after that.

He thought that he had become unfeeling after all the suffering he had gone through, but he was wrong. His heart tightened whenever he thought about his village, his wife and his daughter.

Why did they have to suffer such a fate? It appeared that somewhere deep within his heart, he was still unresigned. If there was still any emotions left within his unfeeling body, it would be the emotions of revenge.

He cannot forgive those bastards who took everything from him and threw him into the pits of despair. Revenge!! He wanted revenge and so he spoke out the next time the demon came to visit them.

"RE.. VENGE".

"Kufufu...Revenge huh, now that's a much better answer. Had you said something as boring as wanting to live, I would have left the place without bothering to come here ever again. But you said something much more interesting".

"Hehe… Revenge, that's not something a person who has given up all hopes of living would ask for. Still, the way you are right now, you cannot take your revenge" The demon laughed at his resolve.

"He..lp… reven..ge"

It was at this moment another demihuman spoke out. The weretiger thought that all the other slaves had already become mindless dolls but it appeared that they were no different than him.

All the others were also in the same position as him, all of them wanted revenge too. After that Elf, all the other demihumans also started speaking out their intentions. However, the demon rejected helping them.

"What is it in for me?" the Demon asked, it was a normal question. Why should the demon help them when they have nothing to offer him?

"Our… every thing…"

While the weretiger was pondering, the dark elf spoke out. That's right, if it meant that he could get his revenge, then he was willing to offer everything to the demon.

Be it making a deal with the demon or whatever he was willing to do anything. The weretiger nodded his head agreeing with the Dark Elf. The other demihumans spoke one by one also agreeing with her words.

"Very well, I shall take your souls in return for bestowing you power" the demon spread his hands in a spectacular fashion and declared with a wild laugh, his crimson eyes glaring at the darkness.

Before he left the cell, he threw them a vial containing some suspicious crimson liquid and left behind some ominous words.

"Drink it. In a while, a few subordinates of mine will come here. At that time, they will bestow you with a very very special power. Do try to survive with all your might. I wonder how many of you will still be alive at the end of it all".

After the demon left, the cave became silent once again. Nevertheless, the demihuman slaves who finally saw some light at the end of this long long dark tunnel, seemed to have been given a new lease on life.

Their hollow eyes no longer looked as soulless as before. All of them glanced at the vials containing the crimson liquid that was thrown towards them.

At a glance, the liquid looked like it was blood. What would happen of them of they drink it?