Chapter 236 – Interlude 31

Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock

I held up the skull of the demon Agares. It had tried to run, but once I knew I could beat it there was no escape. While it might have had some tricks, it was no Xanatos, with methods and skills refined over millennia from the Dark Library.

Its violet core was tucked away into my spatial pouch. “It seems I won in the end,” I said with a smile as I looked into the monster’s vacant eyes.

Normally I wasn’t one to celebrate so much or be so dramatic after defeating a monster, but this fight had lasted a decade. Taking a couple minutes to celebrate was fine as I recovered my points. The gloating was just me expressing joy at a major accomplishment. I had done the same when I had reached level 150 and become a supreme legend.

I looked at the new Tier 3 skill, Demonic Hunter. Now that was a good skill, even if it did nothing.

It took a bit of effort to angle my sword to carve runes into the large demonic head, but that was fine. A couple of minutes later, the Mana settled and the head would be preserved until I could get the skull turned into a drinking cup.

I was going to keep my promise to the demon. When I met another, I would bring the skull out of my spatial storage and invite that demon to come have a drink if it dared. Since the monsters could think, they could feel fear. I would give them all the fear they could stomach, until their hearts stopped and their blood froze.

Unfortunately, the Tier 7 curse skill, Curse Of The Depths was still stuck to me. I was out of food. While I could try and treat monster flesh, that would be annoying. I really didn’t want to do that. I could do it, but it was tedious, frustrating, and there were minor issues that would develop over time.

I made my way to the passage up to the 25^th layer. I could feel the curse tightening on me as I stood at the base of the passage, looking up. If I went up, I would die. That much was certain.

As for cutting my way out, that would draw attention from the Seraphim. I had never met one, but I had looked through the restricted knowledge at the College and the Last Bastion once I became a Supreme Legend. Creating a dungeon breach, would cause them to intervene.

And by all accounts, they were beyond my strength. While others might call me stubborn and prideful, I knew when I was outmatched and could admit as such. Breaching up through the layers of the dungeon, would invite those beings to intervene and that would be death with more steps.

“Life is never easy, is it?” I asked the skull of the monster I had just preserved. It was a rare moment that I was faced with such indecision. Going down would only see the Mana increase, which would make processing monster meat even more difficult and perilous. But I couldn’t ascend either. Removing the curse skill would ruin my foundation for the remainder of my life.

While I could go a while without eating or water, I wasn’t completely separated from such things. Only monsters could persist entirely off Mana. There was another option. I would have to gamble on the future. Since I refused to step backwards.

I put the demon’s skull into my spatial storage and made my way to the demon’s home. I hadn’t gotten a chance to look at it before. I found several spatial pouches from past Supreme Legends including Bastian. So much history of weakness. I refused to succumb to such a fate of being monster food.

The demon had put up a ward around the passage to the 27^th layer, keeping other monsters away and doing something with the dungeon. I wasn’t entirely sure, but my current theory was that the demon used the wards to obscure its senses completely to move the location about in some way. The fact the dungeon hadn’t reclaimed this place during our battle, gave me a certain degree of confidence for what I was about to do. The demon might be a monster, but it was good at runes.

I brought up Sarah and smiled slightly. My sword, which I had named after my sister, was my most loyal companion. I took my time with each swing. Who knew how long I would be down here?

Unlawfully taken from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I couldn’t help but smile, thinking that my son might descend and find me one day. While I couldn’t ascend, I could seal myself and someone else could bring my sarcophagus out of the dungeon. I had never depended on anyone or anything, now I needed help to leave.

Once I left, I would stock up with ten large spatial pouches, equipment that had never been seen before, and descend for a true final descent next time to break this curse. It was annoying that the lack of food was ultimately my downfall. Even I shuddered at the thought of processing monster meat and eating it.

Not every advancement was worth indulging in. If it had been a choice between death or such a choice, I would make it without hesitation. But as long as there was another path I would take it.

If no one found me to rescue me, then this world truly wasn’t ready for my determination or presence. I carefully stacked up the stone tomb I would soon be sealed inside of.

There was a small part of me, that hoped one day my son would be stronger than me and rescue me. That would prove my decision to have a child was the correct one and love of family was the strongest force out there, triumphing over the dungeon itself.

While I wasn’t normally a romantic or prone to flights of fancy, the long battle and the decision to entomb myself made me melancholy and reflective. I wasn’t afraid of dying in my sleep. If it happened, it happened. I could tell my fear came from leaving my dream unaccomplished and not getting to see my son come into his own.

I finished carving out the runes both in and outside of the tomb. Thankfully the general Mana infusion of stone this deep was strong enough for what I was about to do. At a higher layer this would have been impossible.

Looking at the blank spot I had left, I hesitated before carving my own epitaph.

Here lies sealed Supreme Legend Elena, Farmer of Monsters

Cursed by a demon she slew to never ascend.

Bring this tomb to the surface and open it to gain favor and a reward.

Open this sarcophagus in the dungeon to your own peril.

May my dream be fulfilled and the dungeon destroyed. To my son Justin, my love for you is endless.

I nodded as I looked over what I had written. I was no poet, but it was direct, truthful, and held my hopes for the future. I lowered myself into the sarcophagus and then slid the lid over me.

I took my time sealing the lid to the sides. I didn’t want some fool waking me in the dungeon after I had gone to such trouble. Once the sarcophagus was moved, it would be about a year before I woke up if it wasn’t broken. That should give whomever found me enough time to ascend.

Beyond that there was nothing I could do. I had to leave the rest to the future.

With everything now in place, I hesitated. The next time I woke up was when my tomb had been disturbed. I felt Sarah resting inside my soul. No one but me would ever hold my sword.

Gathering my Mana, I fed it into the massive runic array I had created. My body lifted up into the air, suspended so I wouldn’t feel any external forces. I could feel time speeding up for me. One second for me became two outside my tomb. Then one became three. Three became twenty. Twenty became a thousand. A thousand became endless.

Time snapped back. My senses were assaulted as my Mana revolted inside of my body. Even with my terrible condition, I didn’t let my guard down. Time to see if I was in for another fight or if I had been truly rescued from the dungeon. I still couldn’t sense anything outside my sarcophagus.

I had blocked everything but my sense of time, so my senses wouldn’t be overwhelmed while I was sealed. Even my Depth Sense was blocked and other dungeon sensing skills. It would have been too risky otherwise. The curse skill used my understanding of ascent. Lying, especially to myself was impossible.

The only way to get around it was to create conditions where I didn’t ascend out of the dungeon myself or have knowledge of my ascent. I was stuck in a stone sarcophagus. If it was moved about, that was beyond me. I had no knowledge or control of such a thing and truly believed it, since I was letting it occur.

My Mana was revolting inside of my body. I took the skill Temporal Resistance, that was a new resistance skill, which was slightly interesting. I didn’t move or say anything while I waited and recovered.

I would wait until I fully recovered before freeing myself. It had been a good plan, sending myself into the future. For the future was always filled with endless possibilities. And if the being who disturbed my tomb was a monster or hostile, they would get a terrible surprise.

Would it be my son? A descendant of his? Another supreme legend?

I honestly had no idea who had rescued me. Unfortunately, there would be no shock on their face when I emerged, since my epitaph had been incredibly clear. A shame to give up a violet demon core, but it was the least I could do for my savior. And if they had a minor problem or request, I would handle it for them as well.

Carrying my tomb up all the layers of the dungeon wouldn’t have been easy. It couldn’t be stored away and the Mana imbued into it was immense. It would have caused the dungeon to react strongly once a person moved it from its initial location.

The fact a monster wasn’t smashing it open was already a good sign. I heard a crack, as the top of the sarcophagus was broken open. Then the entire top portion was ripped away in a single action as I looked up at my savior.