Asher came out of the room and saw himself standing in a hallway with gray stone walls and smooth granite tiles. The hallway was broad and spacious enough to see plenty of other candidates in the hall walking around freely without bumping around each other.
Some of them were wearing training gear, heading towards training rooms. He also saw others dressed in more formal attire, making their way toward a set of large wooden doors. He knew these doors led to a special room where the candidates who passed this trial could choose their grimoires, or to be precise, the second part of the grimoire they chose after passing the first trial.
It was said that there were six parts to each grimoire in the tower. And by passing each trial, a demon can collect the parts one by one till they can complete their grimoire.
He also would have gone into that room only if he didn't receive an Immortal Grade grimoire from Hell Maiden, which he received as a whole. So there was no need for him to collect any parts. Because of that, he received more life crystals as compensation which he couldn't feel more satisfied with.
The candidates who passed by him gave a deep bow with looks of awe since it seemed like he had already passed the second trial!
At this point, they felt like this was a great time to live to witness the birth and growth of such a terrifying genius.
The women were swooning just by feeling his gaze which barely lingered for a second. How could they not feel attracted to such a powerful and charming figure?
Some of the noble ladies wanted to approach him, but they were afraid that the queen might hear of it and misunderstand. They sighed, feeling it was a pity, and could only shyly smile at him as they walked past.
Asher once again realized that revealing his strength was the right move. These demons followed those with strength, and even without trying, lots of people were ready to become his followers.
This was why he contested Rebecca for her position. There was just so much to gain once he could take advantage of it. But it won't be easy.
He saw some nobles walking towards him with respectful smiles but their expressions froze when they saw the door behind him open.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," A woman's melodic voice sounded from behind as Asher turned around to see a lethal beauty who commanded attention and respect with every breath she took, "Lady Sabina, I guess I have to thank you again," Asher said with a knowing smile.
He knew that it was not by coincidence Sabina intervened at the right time but probably because she was keeping tabs. But what he couldn't get was why she was so interested enough to do so.
Sabina twirled a strand of her silver hair with a coy grin on her lips, "Fu~Fu~Let's drop the formalities when it's just us. I find it cumbersome," Her voice subtly became smooth and soft as she continued, "So if you want to really express your gratitude, how about you give me a hand with one of my small potion-brewing experiments? Considering the favor you asked me last time, I feel like you might be a hidden potion genius. But I can understand if you have bigger things to do rather than getting involved in my silly and boring potion experiments," She said as she tilted her head to one side, her eyes glinting with amusement and her voice dripping with an intoxicating mix of charm and danger.
Asher felt that this woman was up to something and could make one or two guesses why. He could also see that she was quite perceptive which meant he can't lower his guard around her.
Still, as someone who loves danger that may hide potential benefits, he wanted to take a chance. He might get to learn a thing or two from her, especially since her House was known as the House of Secrets. But most importantly, find out what she was really after.
"You flatter me, Sabina, but since you have such a high opinion of me, I shall try not to disappoint," Asher said with a light smile.
Sabina leaned forward, her gaze intense as she said with a playful wink, "It's fine either way. Perhaps I can teach you some things too. I will catch you later then," Saying so, Sabina stepped back and walked away with a smile.
Asher squinted his eyes as he stared at her shapely back, showing off her smooth, pale flawless skin. He shook his head briefly before walking away in the opposite direction.
However, as Sabina left the corridor, a pair of bright red eyes emerged out of the dark walls staring at her back before disappearing into nothingness.
…
Asher entered one of the meditation halls on the second floor, the scent of something light yet invigorating filling his nostrils. The hall was a circular room with high ceilings and soft lighting.
In the center, there was a raised platform where Duncan Doru was seated, his legs crossed and his eyes closed in meditation. It was said that he was the oldest demon in the kingdom with vast power and knowledge that remained uncontested. Unfortunately, he never steps out of this tower as he considers himself an eternal servant of the tower until his last breath.
Asher didn't know why someone like Duncan would be so loyal to a tower, but how could he possibly understand the mentality of such a man. He also knew this tower wasn't ordinary at all. But nevertheless, Asher was looking forward to learning so much from him.
He stepped forward and deeply bowed without saying anything while taking a glance at the old demon with long, flowing white hair and a serene expression on his face.
"You have once again proven yourself worthy of your bloodline by passing the 2nd trial already, Asher," Duncan Doru's deep and resonant voice echoed in the hall, conveying his appreciation towards Asher for passing the second trial.
Asher slowly straightened his back as he said with a light bow, "Thank you, master. I still feel I have a lot to learn," He said respectfully.
"A mind as young as yours or as old as mine will always have a lot to learn. There is never an end to how better we can become," Duncan said as he slowly opened his eyes and gestured to Asher to sit in front of him.
Asher felt like his words weren't wrong at all and walked up to the platform to sit in front of him.
"I heard Silvia was about to make things difficult for you. What do you think about her? You can freely express your words. What we discuss will never be heard by another soul," Duncan said with narrowed eyes.
Asher subtly raised his brows, not expecting him to suddenly put forth such a question even though he had an inkling before that Duncan probably knew about it. He didn't know if this was some kind of test question and simply answered, "Well, I wonder if she is suitable for the position of a Floor Warden," Asher chose to be half-careful with his words just in case.
"Hmm, power is a double-edged sword. It can help you achieve great things, but it can also corrupt you if you let it. Silvia is a prime example of this as she wields her power with arrogance and thinks she can control everything and everyone around her. In the end, it can only lead to causing damage to this kingdom," Duncan said with a shake of his head, making Asher realize this old man wasn't least afraid to talk so bluntly about the young lady from one of the Great Houses.
But this only made him realize how this old man didn't have any strings on him and was probably like a teacher to all the demons here, giving him the qualifications to admonish or talk freely about anyone in this kindgom.
Duncan focused his gaze on Asher as he asked, "So what do you plan to achieve with the power you have or might gain in the future? I am asking since, as your master, I want to know if I am going to raise a disciple that will help this kingdom flourish or destroy it."
Asher realized this was a question to learn about his true intentions. If he wasn't careful with his words, then it could very well be the end of his time as a disciple.
"I have been a cripple for most of my life, and I have experienced how it feels like to be helpless, especially when it comes to helping my wife or repaying my debt to our late king for giving me a second chance at life. I could only helplessly sit as I learned how we have been fighting this endless war and lost so many of our kind, especially my benefactor to the humans. But now that I have the chance to become something more, all I want is to use it to destroy our most dangerous enemies…the humans. I dream of us conquering the Severed Realm and freeing our people from this hellish world…Isn't that what we all truly seek?" Asher asked as his eyes briefly glowed.
Duncan noticed the fiery glow in his eyes and slowly nodded with an appreciative look, "Your mind is in the right place, Asher. I have asked this question to many young people like you, but most of their answers revolved around themselves. None of them were ever truly interested in helping our realm progress. This is the main reason why we haven't yet won the war against humans despite the passing of so many years. At this point, most of the people in this realm only care about completing simple quests that satisfy their mundane desires instead of addressing the root problem that shackles us."
Asher was glad Duncan didn't see through his intention of taking advantage of these demons to fulfill his revenge. But he knew it was because his words were mostly true…he couldn't wait to make them all pay for betraying and abandoning him.
"And that is why I am going to teach you how to properly reap souls during a reaping quest. Reaping quests are the fastest way to help us pave a path to our salvation if utilized in the right way. I assume you haven't taken any reaping quests after the reaping trial, right?" Duncan asked, making Asher's eyes light up with a certain eagerness, "No. Somebody advised me it wouldn't be wise to take any reaping quests until I consulted an expert," Asher was glad Duncan was going to teach him how to reap right away. It was something he was looking forward to learning from him.
Duncan hummed as he said, "Good. That person saved your life by giving you that advice. Reaping quests are not as straightforward or easy as the trial you took."
Asher raised his brows subtly, wondering what he meant by that.
