I Killed the Hero and Took His Achievements-Chapter 19: Stomach Acid & Stock Markets

[Location: The Jaw of Agony]

[Type: Conscious Dungeon (Biological)]

[Depth: Esophagus]

The Dungeon wasn’t made of stone but it was made of Meat. The walls were throbbing, the floor was spongy and the air smelled like iron and bile.

"I hate this already," Sylvia nauseated, covering her nose with a perfumed handkerchief. "Why is the floor moist?"

"It’s saliva," I said while checking my boots. "We are inside a giant stomach."

The Dungeon of Agony is unique. it’s an organism. A massive, subterranean entity that eats adventurers and digests their mana. Most parties died here because they tried to fight the monsters. But the monsters were just the Dungeon’s immune system. White blood cells with teeth.

"Keep your shields up," I ordered. "And don’t touch the walls. They absorb 1000 HP per second." We walked deeper.

SQUELCH. SQUELCH.

Ahri’s tails were raised high to avoid the ground. "Master, if I get the digestion fluid on my fur, I’m billing you for the fur grooming."

"Noted."

SCREEE.

From the flesh-walls, pores opened.

[Monster: Agony Parasite]

[Level: 45]

They looked like leeches at the size of anaconda. It was hundreds of them.

"Formation!" I shouted. "Seraphina! [Holy Burn]! Sylvia! [Flash Freeze]!"

Seraphina raised her staff. "Light of purification!" A wave of golden fire washed over the leeches. They shrieked as their skin was boiled.

Sylvia followed up with series of attack. The boiled skin froze and shattered viciously.

[Combo: Thermal Shock.]

I stood in the center menacingly.

SLASH. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

My dagger swallowed their souls forcefully.

[Soul-Eater Active.]

"Arise." The shadows of the dead leeches rose up.

"Eat your friends," I commanded. The Shadow Leeches attacked the breathing ones. It was horrifying and cannibalistic mess. We pushed forward.

————————————————————

[Depth: The Gastric Chamber]

We reached a massive cave filled with a lake of bubbling hazardous acid. There were islands of calcified bone floated in the acid.

"The Boss Room is on the other side," I pointed to a sphincter opening across the lake.

"How do we cross it?" Sylvia asked. "We can’t fly. The air is very toxic for us."

I looked at the acid.

[Environmental Hazard: Stomach Acid.]

[Effect: Melts Mythic Armor in 10 seconds.]

I looked at my inventory. I pulled out a Barrell of Aether Fuel (leftover from the ship repairs).

"Physics lesson," I grinned. "Aether is lighter than acid."

I kicked the barrel into the lake. It floated. "Hop on."

"You want us to surf on an explosive barrel across a lake of demise?" Ahri asked, ears jiggled.

"Yes. Unless you want to swim."

We climbed onto the barrel. It wiggled alarmingly.

"Ahri," I said. "Use your Fox Fire for thrust."

"I am not your outboard motor!"

"Do it, or else we sink and die."

Ahri whined. She directed her tails behind. [Fox Fire Pulse].

WOOSH.

We cruised through the acid lake successfully. The acid bubbled. Splashes of digestive fluid was lashing out to us sporadically. But I lacerated them down with [Napalm Web].

SLICE. BURN. SIZZLE.

We successfully reached the other side in 30 seconds. We bounced off onto the shore.

"Safe at last," I dusted off my coat clean.

"Well that was the most senseless plan ever," Sylvia breathed, adrenaline was high.

"It worked. Now, quiet."

I pointed at the sphincter opening. "The Boss is behind there. He’s not a monster."

"What is he then?" Seraphina asked.

————————————————————

[The Boss Room: The Heart of Greed]

We entered the chamber. It didn’t look like a dungeon. To be honest, it looked like a Bank Vault. Gold bars were stacked upward to the ceiling. Piles of gems and ancient artifacts. In the center, sitting on a throne made of solid Emerald...

[Boss: The God of Greed]

[Level: ???]

[Type: Construct/Projection]

He looked like a man in a gold suit. Faceless. No features, just a smooth golden mask. "Welcome," the Avatar spoke. His voice sounded like coins falling on a table. "Travelers. Have you come to make a deposit?"

"I’ve come to make a withdrawal," I said frankly, stepping forward.

The Avatar laughed weirdly. "Violence is expensive, Cain Cross. Look at your debt."

He waved his hand. A holographic screen appeared above me.

[Karmic Debt: -Infinite.]

[Crimes: Murder, Theft, Sacrilege, Market Manipulation...]

"To pass," the Avatar said. "You must pay the toll but your soul is insufficient. I accept cash, credit, or..." He looked at the girls lustfully. "Assets."

Sylvia and Seraphina stepped back terrified. The Avatar’s pressure was immense, it overwhelmed us. This wasn’t a physical fight, it was like a Pressure Battle.

"I offer a trade," I said. I walked up to the throne. "I don’t have enough Karmic Credit to pay you, I have Information."

The Avatar tilted his head. "Information?"

"I know who your Boss is."

The room went cold. "I know you are just a fragment of the Monarch of Greed, the Foreign watching from the stars. And I know he’s looking for the Throne of the World."

The Avatar stiffened. "Continue."

"I know where the Throne is at."

"Liar," the Avatar spit. "The location was lost."

"It’s not lost," I smiled. "It’s hidden." I tapped my head with my index finger. "I know the coordinates. If you kill me, the knowledge dies. Your Boss remains in destitution eternally."

The Avatar doubted. Greed is logical. Risk vs Reward. Killing me = No Reward. Keeping me alive = Potential Boundless Reward.

"What is the rate?" the Avatar asked.

"I want the Key to the next floor."

"Okay."

"And 10% of your Hoard."

"Preposterous! 10% is—"

"Take it or leave it. I can always go tell the Monarch of Gluttony instead. He pays much better."

The Avatar slammed his fists on the throne armrest.

"Deal."

[System Notification]

[Trade Complete.]

[Item Acquired: Key of Agony.]

[Gold Acquired: 50 Million.]

The Avatar rendered into gold dust. The door behind the throne opened slowly.

"Pleasure doing business," I said.

I turned to the girls. They were all staring at me dumbfounded.

"You... Did you just scam a Dungeon Boss?" Sylvia asked.

"I negotiated with him," I corrected.

"But... do you really know where the Throne is?" Ahri asked.

"Of course I do."

"Where?"

I tapped my chest proudly. "I am the Throne. Or rather... I will be." I walked toward the exit.

————————————————————

[Outside the Dungeon]

We appeared into the sunlight. The air smelled fresh. But something was missing. The sky was abnormally red.

[System Alert: World Event.]

[The ’Second Wave’ has begun.]

[Location: Global.]

"The timeline accelerated again," I whispered.

I looked at the horizon. Portals were opening everywhere. Not just undead. It was Demons. Fire showered from the sky.

My phone (magical comms) buzzed. It was General Kael.

"Emperor Cain!" he shrieked. "The Demons! They are raiding the Capital! We need reinforcements!"

"Hold the line," I said.

"We can’t! They have Siege Beasts!"

I hung up after. I looked at my girls. "The vacation is over. Sylvia, teleport us to Winterhold. Ahri, arrange the fire. Seraphina, pray."

"To who?"

I drew the Soul-Eater’s Fang. It howled, sensing the imminent massacre. "To Me."