Coming back to the surface, it seems news of two outsiders going to the sewers had long been spread around

The guards, perhaps knowing something about what was going on down there, sat at the gate expecting corpses. Or at the very least, terrified runaways.

However, what they got was a pair of walkers covered in sewer muck, smelling of ozone and dead rat, dragging three massive sacks behind them.

Rax, the insect-eyed guard, watched from the shadows. His mandibles twitched.

'They went to the sewers,' Rax analyzed.

'They smell of the deep tunnels, so they indeed went deep.however how did they make it back alive? Did they hide?.'

Lost in thought, he focused his eyes back on both of them

Damien walked past the guards.

This time he decided not to feign being injured, he didn't bow his head this time. He didn't limp.

He walked with the heavy, rhythmic thud of a man who owned the pavement.

He glanced at Rax. He didn't say a word, but his cross-shaped pupil flashed for a split second.

'I know,' the look said. 'And I don't care.'

Rax felt a chill go down his spine. He stepped back into the shadows, deciding not to radio the others just yet.

…....….

[The Bone Hall]

The walk from the sewers was smooth, with no one interrupting them, within a few minutes, they made their way back to the bone hall

The double doors of the Bone Hall swung open.

The noise of the tavern died down instantly. The Drifters turned, expecting entertainment.

"Look," a demon sneered.

"The sewer rats are back. Did you find a copper coin down there, soft-skin?"

Damien ignored him. He walked straight to the main counter.

The Skeletal Clerk looked up, his empty sockets bored. "Back again? Did you realize the rat quest was too hard?"

Damien dropped the heavy sacks on the floor. The sound was like a boulder hitting the earth.

Then, he reached into his Void Gem.

'This clerk, did he also know about what was going on down there in the sewers' Damien thought, feeling the weight of the gem in his hand.

'if he did, why don't I give him a little suprise'

SLAM.

He brought his hand down on the counter.

The wooden desk groaned.

Lying in the centre was a heavy abyss core. It hummed with a cold, terrifying gem that Clerk's skeletal figure rattled a bit.

[Item: Rat kings Core]

[Grade: Tier 6]

The Clerk froze. The blue flames in his eye sockets flared and then shrank in terror.

"This..." the Clerk rattled, his voice dropping an octave. "This is..."

"The commission," Damien said, his voice ringing through the silent hall. "Completed."

He leaned over the counter, his eyes cold.

"I don't have that much time to waste here, so do what you have to do"

He tapped the stone blindfold.

"And pay me."

Hearing this, the clerk didn't argue, neither did he try to cheat him.

He hurriedly handed over a heavy pouch of 500 High-Grade Abyss Cores and a black, glowing coin.

[Item: Token of Audience]

"You see, the sewer quest, although low grade was also a special one also put out by the sanctuary lord, as someone who cleared it.."

"The... The Lord wishes to see you," the Clerk stammered.

VWMMM.

The coin activated.

The world twisted. Damien and Isabelle were pulled through space, vanishing from the Bone Hall.

They reappeared in a room that smelled of lavender and old dust. It was a stark contrast to the grime of the abyss sanctuary.

The walls were made of polished ivory, draped in velvet curtains.

Sitting on a throne made of fused skulls was a figure.

He was tall, wearing a pristine black suit that looked strangely modern. His head wasn't a skull, but a smooth, white mask with no features.

[Entity: The Sanctuary Lord]

[Rank: ???]

"You're quite interesing outsider," the Lord said. His voice was smooth, cultured, and utterly devoid of warmth.

"I try my best," Damien replied, not bowing. He stood casually, hand resting on his sword hilt.

The Lord tilted his head.

"You entered the Garden of Silence and return alive. You descend into the sewers and killed a Tier 6 Rat King. And now you stand in my office covered in filth."

The Lord leaned forward.

"I need Commanders. The Corpse Collector on the bridge is becoming... problematic. Join me, and you will rule Layer 1 by my side."

Isabelle stiffened, ready to fight.

Damien chuckled. "Generous offer. But I'm afraid I have a prior engagement."

"Oh?"

"My parents are waiting for me," Damien said, pointing downward. "On Layer 9."

The room went silent.

"Layer 9," the Lord mused. "The domain of the Rotting King. You are ambitious, boy. Or suicidal."

"A bit of both," Damien shrugged. "I just need to cross your bridge."

The Sanctuary Lord stared at him for a long moment. The pressure in the room built up, a silent clash of wills butDamien didn't flinch.

His Greedy King's Intent pushed back against the Lord's aura, creating a spark of black lightning in the air.

"Hah," the Lord laughed softly. The pressure vanished.

He reached into his suit pocket and threw a scroll to Damien.

"Passage granted."

Damien caught it. It was a map.

"But be warned," the Lord said, leaning back. "I do not control the bridge. The Corpse Collector rules that crossing. He always demands a toll of flesh."

"He can try to collect," Damien said, turning to leave.

"And one more thing," the Lord added.

Damien paused.

"The Runehammer Vault," the Lord whispered.

"The logs you found. Burn them. The Surface World does not like its secrets coming back to haunt them."

"Also keep one thing in mind, the abyss never take things for what you see"

"After all, you don't know who might be a demon lurking in human skin"

The sanctuary lord said, making it hard for Damien to guess his thoughts behind the faceless mask

However, even at that, for those words neither Damien nor Isabelle took them to heart as in the abyss, they only planned to trust themselves

So with this in mind, Damien didn't even bother turning around.

He just waved the map over his shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.