The Devil’s Cage

Inside a stone chamber, Schmidt was leaning on a rock-hard bed, staring at Kieran who was sitting on the only chair, playing around with the odd-looking gemstone.

It was narrow and as long as a grown man’s index finger. It was mostly red but a dash of deep blood red line pierced its body, making it looked like a vertical pupil.

Schmidt felt unsettled the moment he saw the gemstone but he didn’t asked Kieran about it.

After all, he was no longer a layman, he had gotten quite the grasp of some of the rules in the mystical realm.

Soon, his attention was caught by the door knocks.

It was Nicil who walked in.

Kieran didn’t even raise his head, he could tell it was him by the footsteps.

Just when Nicil was walking towards Kieran, he examined the gemstones that dropped off from the mutated giant cyclops. His eyes were looking at it with a profound meaning.

[Name: Eye of the Wicked Waters]

[Type: Gemstones]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attribute: 1. Water Arrow, 2. Water Vision, 3. Venom Tranquilizer]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit A]

[Remark: This is a composite magical gemstone filled with bloodthirst and slaughter, the user will need to have an extremely tough mental state and unyielding will to use it!]

...

[Water Arrow: Fire an Average attack, Average impact force water arrow at a target within 15 meters of range, 3/day]

[Water Vision: When there is sufficient water source around user, Water Arrow attack and impact force +1. When user is near a river stream or on a lake, Water Arrow attack and impact force +2. When user is within ocean area, Water Arrow will be upgraded to Water Blitz Arrow]

[Venom Tranquilizer: Targets hit by Water Arrow and Water Blitz Arrow will have to undergo a Constitution and Spirit authentication of -1 level with your own. Target will be tranquilized for 1 second if they fail either one. Target will suffer poison attack equal to a Heavily Wounded damage and tranquilized for 2 seconds if they fail both.]

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...

”They are able to forge a composite gemstone of Legendary rank…”

Kieran unconsciously thought of General Barry.

No doubt the product of alchemic technology in his hands had far exceeded Kieran’s expectation.

The fact that they had the alchemy transmuting capabilities to create a Legendary rank gemstone proved it all.

Still, there was another question that bothered Kieran.

According to the numbers and stats, [Eye of the Wicked Waters]’s Legendary rank was higher than [Ghastly Sapphire] and [Sanctuary Star]’s Rare rank, but according to his own feelings, both the latter had higher values than the former.

Although [Ghastly Sapphire] was still in the process of appraisal and [Sanctuary Star] was damaged in the process, it was a solid fact that [Sanctuary Star] was able to affect [Fusion Heart].

[Fusion Heart]’s rarity was above Epic!

”Is it because of some hidden trigger or agreement? Or some other reasons that I don’t know yet?” Kieran muttered.

His heart had a second thought that rose up at that moment, which was to locate the escaped General Barry!

Even though he was only after the alchemy composite transmuting technology behind General Barry.

Though, when Nicil stood before him, Kieran returned to his calm expression.

”How are things? The ship to take us back to West Coast has arrived?” Kieran asked.

Nicil instantly replied with a bitter smile on his face.

”Are you mocking me now? You know that those deacons and knights-in-reserve had treated you as Hugh’s reincarnation. Though I know it’s Rei’s handy work but they wouldn’t take my word for it. Now, we’ll need to wait for Smulder to regain his conscious or the return of Simon and Maya, the other two Archdeacons.” Nicil mocked himself with a shrug.

”Have you ever seen a Holy Knight reincarnated into a devil’s blood descendant?” Kieran fired back at Nicil with a question of his own.

”Then, did you ever see a devil descendant that could utilize the Sanctuary Legacy ability at will?” Nicil reflected the question with another of his own.

Kieran raised a brow and kept quiet after that.

He never thought he would be in such trouble after he decided to take advantage of the unusual movements of the Holy Knight energy inside him to enhance [Saint Thorns] yesterday.

The mystical realm in the current dungeon world believed in reincarnation, therefore when Kieran displayed the abilities that was almost identical with the deceased Holy Knight and proved it to be one-of-a-kind legacy skill, that was where the misunderstanding started.

He was treated as Hugh’s reincarnation.

An absurd and ridiculous notion.

Kieran never wanted to stick his nose into all these but soon after the appearance of a submission, he was forced to halt his steps.

[Sub mission discovered: The name of reincarnation]

[The name of reincarnation: A certain trait that you displayed as caused some misunderstanding, you need to successfully dissolve his misunderstanding in a smarter way!]

...

Kieran didn’t know what the system meant by ”a smarter way” but he knew he shouldn’t be wasting time anymore.

The first main mission was completed before the fight and the [Special Event] that triggered after was also ended perfectly with a full stop, yet the second main mission hasn’t even begun.

Even though based on the description, he has almost six months to complete the second main mission but when he thought of that stone gate, his confidence plummeted.

Even if his strength had undergo some changes from top to bottom, the impact of not being qualified to even look at the gate was huge to him and it was setting him back with lingering fear.

Before achieving the limits of his current stage, he had no intentions to venture forth.

Therefore, when he noticed Final Island was suitable for him to practise [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he planned to return there after the Holy Knight trials had ended.

He was planning to spend his effort for the next six month in practicing, trying to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to new heights.

Though, after the misunderstanding that happened yesterday, he had to delay his plans for the time being.

Even if he brought out the damaged [Sanctuary Star], they wouldn’t believe him because in the records within the Sanctuary, the [Sanctuary Star] left behind by a deceased Holy Knight might be valuable but it definitely didn’t possess the ability to allow someone to inherit one’s skill.

While Kieran couldn’t revealed much about his speciality, the situation was led to a stalemate.

He didn’t have the patience or the willingness to continue waiting though, so he would need to come up with a plan that could round up the loose ends and create a win-win situation for all.

”When will Smulder regain his conscious? When will Simon and Maya, the two Archdeacons return? Is there a specific time frame that I can have?” Kieran asked.

”Smulder suffered quite the damage, he might need at least two to three weeks to wake up from this. Simon and Maya though were on to complete the plans for the sudden assault hence their leaving. Although I’ve gotten the news everything is progressing smoothly, if they were to return, it would be also at least two weeks or so!” Nicil shook his head.

”It’s too long! I might become moldy and have moss grow all over me if I stay here like this!” Kieran said with a frown.

”I can switch the environment for you but it is limited to within Sanctuary premises!”

Nicil had given the answer Kieran had been waiting for.

”Then… can I go to Final Island? That island is also within Sanctuary premise right? I’ll wait for your contact there!” Kieran spilled out his real intentions.

Nicil however was dumbstruck at the spot after he heard Kieran’s words. He looked at Kieran with a weird gaze.

”What?” Kieran raised a brow over the unsettling gaze.

”Nothing! It’s just that Final Island has always been where Sir Hugh trained and lived. If I didn’t believe that you’ve gotten some skills from Rei, I might believe you to be Sir Hugh’s reincarnation as well! But those fellas up there will solidify their guess if so!” Nicil said.

Kieran, however, furrowed his brows hard, he realized the bubble of the problem seemed to be getting bigger.