Chapter 997 997: The Unknown Portal
After gathering some strength, Ron forced his body up.
"Alright. I'll take care of the ship and its people for you. But as soon as you return, I'll be returning that responsibility. You know I don't like to be tied to a place."
He reached out his hand to help Lucifer up as well.
"That's a deal." Lucifer grabbed the hand of the man who pulled him up. "Just take care of them until I return..."
Ron still had a feeling that something was amiss, but he thought that it was just his misconception. He bid Lucifer farewell before he finally left, feeling quite satisfied with the battle.
Along the way, many maids looked at him weirdly, noticing his condition. However they also knew that he was fighting their Prince Consort.
The damage to the palace caused by the battle between the two wasn't little either. It made all of them realize just how strong these people from the younger generation were.
Lucifer also left the training hall to get a shower. If he wasn't wrong, today was the day when he was to leave this place with the Empress. However, even he wasn't clear just what kind of place he was going to be, or how dangerous it was going to be.
There was even a distant thought that this all might just be a trap and that they already knew his real identity. However, the chances of that were somewhat unlikely. Despite that, he decided to be careful. If it was a trap, then he couldn't just jump straight into it.
While taking a long and relaxing shower, he allowed his healing to take place. The remaining wounds on his body also healed, at a speed visible to the eyes.
After a shower, he stepped out, fully dressed, only to find the Empress in the room.
She was dressed in her official attire, as if she had just returned from somewhere. For some reason, Lucifer felt that she was different from before.
She was thinking about something but it was hard to read her face. It was a minor change, which made him slightly intrigued as to where she returned from.
"It looks like you had fun today. Though take everything that you need. We are leaving now. It's time for you to keep your side of the deal."
After reminding Lucifer, the woman stepped out of the room. As the Captain of the Guards died at Lucifer's hands, someone else had taken Lein's position. However, the new Captain wasn't allowed to accompany the woman either.
Moreover, unlike Lein, the New Captain was less persistent. He followed the instructions of the Empress, instead of secretly following her for her own safety.
Lucifer didn't need to gather anything. All he wanted was food and some clothes, which he always carried in his storage ring. Other than that, there was nothing that he needed, including weapons or treasures.
Moreover, with his healing, he didn't need any medicine or any antidotes either.
He followed the Empress right outside the room, preparing himself for whatever was to come. It didn't matter if it was a trap or something else. What mattered was that he had prepared himself for any contingencies.
The Empress personally escorted Lucifer. And to his surprise, he didn't see a single guard or any maid along the way, as if they were all given a night off.
If someone wanted to kill the woman, it was the perfect opportunity. However, she didn't look worried either.
She brought Lucifer to a specific section of the palace, where not even Lucifer was allowed to go previously. That area was restricted for even the most trusted of the Empress.
No one knew what exactly was there, but there were many rumors about it, including one that stated that a terrifying Creature was being imprisoned there. However, no one had seen that personally, or verified that. Even Lein didn't know the truth behind this.
The area was blocked by a door which was made from the strongest metal. Even for a General level being in Star Alliance, it was impossible to break that door with force without attacking it constantly for hours.
The door could only be opened with the blood of the woman, along with a very peculiar key.
Lucifer stood in the back, watching the woman bite her thumb. She placed a drop of her blood on the door, before inserting the key at the same time.
Following a clicking sound, the door opened on its own, allowing the woman to pass through. Lucifer followed her before the door closed.
Throughout the way, Lucifer walked behind the woman, in case she was leading her to a trap. However, so far, there was nothing close to that.
On the other side of the door, there were stairs which led down. However, Lucifer also felt another force pushing down on his body, as if his weight had suddenly increased.
"You can't fly in this place. Though don't worry. The stairs aren't long." The woman went down the stairs, unaffected by the pressure on her shoulders.
....
"The stairs aren't long? We've been stepping down for half an hour now..." Lucifer sarcastically asked after half an hour passed and the end still wasn't at sight.
He didn't know how deep he was beneath the surface but he was convinced that he had at least walked down a few kilometers towards the center of the world.
"A little more..." The woman responded.
After an additional hour, the situation remained unchanged. The stairs appeared to stretch on indefinitely, as though their descent only made them longer. Fortunately, they did come to an end, but not before three more hours passed.
Finally, Lucifer was on the flat surface again. Before them was a spatial portal, which wasn't restricted by anything. It was as if anyone could just walk in. The only security upto this point was the door at the entrance of the stairs.
This time, the woman turned back toward Lucifer. She held his hand and pulled him along with her as she entered the portal.