After putting your body outside and entering this world with me, I want you to understand that nothing lasts forever. Death takes everything. Death is the only truth in this deceitful world. So, never fear death. Always wait for your turn with a smile on your face.
Before I entered the palace, a sign appeared to me:
"You can level up my status by three skill points."
So, I did that. I was the first to try it on Yama.
When I entered the palace with that servant and saw Yama, I whispered,
"Status."
Name: Yama
Occupation: Rebellious Daughter of the Demon King
Class: Sorceress
Level: 70
Abilities: Fire Dragon
Magic: 90
Visible Emotions: Arrogance and Anger
Hidden Emotions: A little longing, a lot of hope and deceit
That cursed girl had increased her level significantly in the past seven months. After killing that stupid servant, I walked steadily toward her, my eyes never leaving hers until I was standing in front of her.
"Why did you kill him?" Yama asked with some confusion.
I replied with a slight smile on my face, "Because he got too close to my things."
"And where are these things? I don't see that he took anything from you."
I grabbed her hand tightly, looked into her eyes with a hint of love, and said,
"The thing is, he got too close to you and whispered in his ear. So his punishment was death because anyone who gets close to you other than me will die."
"W...what?"
I left her at that moment and pulled out a large number of gems from my inner range, placing them in front of her eyes: more than 50 tiger gems, 40 wolf gems, 20 orc gems, and 10 lion gems. I didn't pull out all the gems in my range, only enough to shock her.
"Consider all of these as a gift for you."
That fool thought she had fallen into my trap. I knew she sent me to the forest to be scared of the monsters there, to return to her quickly with tears on my face, kneel at her feet, and beg for mercy. And when we left here, she would kill me.
But since I stayed in the forest for all this time without leaving, she sent that servant to make me scared or tremble. I figured out the first part of the plan while in the forest because I knew that without the abilities I had, I wouldn't have lasted just three months. When I saw the servant and the way he spoke, I figured out the second part.
So, I would now show her who the master of schemes and tricks is. I knew I would play with her on a large chessboard, and the winner would be the one who made the last move. No matter how strong or smart a girl is, words can make her naive.
So, when I told her this, her terrified face and shocked eyes disappeared, replaced by a red face. That fool is naive to the extreme.
"I will get you out of here and free you. Wait."
I said that while looking into her beautiful eyes and at her lovely face. I felt how naive she was. I, too, was naive. Damn her beauty. I turned my face and went to the library. I wanted to search for something.
I started searching through the history books, memorizing all the books in my mind. There were many history books in this library, and finding information about King Darius was easier than expected.
Some books described him as a tyrant who killed, stole, looted, and burned many cities. Others depicted him as an angel who never erred, stole, or oppressed, just and fair to the extreme. But both sides agreed on one thing: his immense power that never waned and his strong army that no one could stand against. And the giant dragon that was always under Darius's command and the strange gem he often held in his hand.
After ruling this world for more than 200 years, he disappeared. A strange curse fell upon the world, and there was a great battle that destroyed many tribes and creatures. Since this battle took place on the continent of halves, as the book in front of me mentioned, the hybrid creatures were mostly exterminated, their power and armies destroyed. The battle lasted for three nights. Everything was destroyed. The hybrid creatures were finished, and those remaining became slaves to humans and demons. Darius and his army never appeared again.
I tried to find more information about this king in the history books, but all I found was a picture of the old dragon when it was young. It was truly powerful and red, huge. Its wings shook the sky, and its claws held a human palace. I think time and energy drain made the old dragon smaller in size.
Legends say that King Darius lived a thousand years ago.
Much time passed as I reviewed in my mind what I read, trying to focus on certain pieces of information. Suddenly, a voice behind me, unusually calm, said,
"I will teach you the dimensional skill so we can get out of here."
I asked her without looking at her face,
"I won't move or do anything until you tell me the truth about how that servant entered this prison."
Her voice held some tension. I believe this girl had never felt what she was feeling now before.
"A... all it is, is that my father can let anyone into this prison and take them out whenever he wants. This prison was made by a king, and it was his private residence. He also created that forest. Demons inherited the keys to this place over the ages. It wasn't a prison, but my father made it one for me. I am a princess, not fit to be in a prison like common demons."
I didn't care about what she said. I focused only on something she mentioned.
"Do you know the king who made this place and that forest?"
"Yes, and is there any demon who doesn't know that? It is Darius. He named that forest where you were, the Forest of Darkness."
So, that's how it is. That king made this place to die in and placed the pearl inside it. The dragon guarded all of this. If the corpses didn't recognize me, that dragon would have killed me.
"And how will we get out of here if only your father can control this place?"
"You are a special case. There is a forbidden skill that no one could learn because it requires something impossible to achieve. Therefore, this skill only exists in books."
"What does it need?"
"Someone who is both a tamer and a shape-shifter."