Ding!
[Your dishes have made many people happy and healthier!]
[The [Divinity of Cooking] has absorbed their gratefulness into Divine Power]
[You earned +2500000 Divine Power]
[The [Divine Cooking Arts (C)] Divine Ability has gained a large quantity of Proficiency.]
After having enjoyed a delicious meal filled with many flavors, we were finally ready to depart. Thanks to my dishes special abilities, not only everybody's health was recovered, their stamina, mana, and divine power had also recovered quite nicely, and most of them also received buffs to their stats.
Honestly, I never thought I would get this advanced in cooking divinity that it would begin to create these amazing effects, even less to be able to recover Divine Power by doing it… And it was just a few dozen people but I still got a whopping 2500000 Divine Power, which is quite insane.
"We are mostly all ready." Said Benladann. She was holding her Axe, Hel, which she had combined back into a single one once more. "Sapphire, you said Aquarius is somehow sealed inside of that room, right?"
"Yes… When he perished, he was possessed by a part of the Deep One's powers. Not only that made his body transform into an Undead, but it gave him terrifying powers and forgetting all his memories at the same time…" Sapphire sighed.
"S-Sorry about asking that, it must have been painful." Benladann sighed.
"No, it's fine. It has been many years since then. I've been hiding, cowering by myself, thinking there could never be a time when I would bring myself to confront him once more, when I would have the strength…" She sighed. "Well, I certainly still lack the strength, but now that I have all of you at my side, I feel stronger, and perhaps, much braver to see the end of this."
"Sapphire…" Benladann sighed, smiling.
"I guess you're right. You're still too weak. I would say if he's even stronger than when he was alive, it would take everything we have to beat him… It's not going to be easy." Miranda sighed.
"You should stay behind anyways, Miranda." I said. "You're pregnant."
"I know, don't worry." She sighed, giving me a kiss. "I will keep myself in the back and support you two with my magic and summons."
"You better do!" Benladann reprimanded her. "I don't want you risking your life, okay?"
"Okay, don't worry! I am not an irresponsible little girl or something~" She sighed, crossing her arms.
As we made our way into the gates and stood in front of them, everyone seemed slightly nervous. I guess I was as well. After having seen his whole life through those dreams, now having to fight his undead body was really… a painful thing.
But it has to be done. He has lost his memories, and everything that made him himself. I have nothing against Undead people, but what Aquarius has become is not a person, he has been cursed into his rotting body and became a monster that cannot wake up from an endless nightmare.
Perhaps the only way to truly free him is by finally destroying what he had become. And perhaps, if we are lucky, we could find something, the last piece of this puzzle we need to figure out the true intentions and goals of his inheritance.
"Lord Aquarius was truly a brave man…" Sighed Hector. "I wish that my light is enough to purify his body and soul. I will do my best to support you, lord Drake."
"Thank you Hector, you're a reliable ally." I nodded.
Within the strategy I had prepared, all of our Light Element Wielders would stay at my side so they can fight in the frontlines while I protect them with my magic and body. The best way to battle Undead is by using Holy Light or Life Magic.
Aside from Hector, there was also Pekora and Yuki. Pekora can conjure Light and Life Elements through her Contracted Spirits, and Yuki has the ability to unleash Holy Light Magic through her White Tiger Beast Spirit Transformation.
Ruby, who is very strong at Rank 9 and who had inherited many of the Ancestor of the Vampire's powers, will remain in the middle, watching the frontlines and the back. Her magic can cover wide distances and is very versatile, so she's going to be useful.
Tisha, Benladann, and the children will remain in the middle as well, while Miranda stays safe in the back, with many of my spirits to also protect her. Sapphire insisted on going to the frontlines as well. But I still left her in the middle.
The Middle position has the advantage of switching and moving to the front or behind for more defense or offense, this is why my daughter who might be our strongest light element wielder is still in the middle, I am worried she might get too hurt if I let her go to the frontlines.
…Maybe she's strongest than Hector, Pekora, and Yuki, yeah, but I am a father, so I cannot just allow myself to act irresponsibly and throw my kids to danger like this. Though, through this entire travel, my daughters feel to have developed both mentally and in their powers quite a lot.
I guess letting them finally take the spotlight have helped them grow as fighters and also as younglings. I am expecting their aid in this battle, their strength is truly formidable, and it will be very useful.
"Let's go." I said, stepping forward, and touching the gate. Rose and Sapphire's Stigmas reacted, and the two other Familiar Orbs as well, unleashing rays of light into the gate's center, which had the shape of a monstrous octopus-like humanoid monster with four eyes.
The four empty eyes were filled with these four colors, purple, black, green, and blue, until the gates started glowing brightly, and finally, they started opening.
CREAAAAAK…!
Within the end of the hall, an enormous entity which has been resting for many years woke up, opening his bright red eyes, and unleashing an overwhelming aura of phantasmal energy, death, and ocean divinity.
"Hello, Aquarius."
"ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR…!"
Ding!
[You've opened the [Boss Room]!]
[The Ruler of the Dream Dungeon has woken up from their eternal slumber.]