Kai, now known by the name etched into his very being, Asmudeus, the Sky Conqueror, exited the cavernous throne room. He moved with the terrifying, almost ethereal speed afforded him, crossing the mile-long corridor in a matter of heartbeats. He felt weightless yet infinitely powerful, a grotesque contradiction compared to the weary student he was just an hour ago.
I need a briefing. I'm the ultimate raid boss, but I don't know the raid script, Kai thought, channeling his inner panic into a cold, arrogant demeanor. I need to find a library, a manual, anything. But first, I have to deal with my cabinet of horrors.
The Obsidian Tower was the highest spire of the Dark Castle, a place of convergence for Asmudeus's most trusted (and dangerous) subjects. As he ascended the last few steps, the air grew thick with oppressive, palpable Mana. The presence of so many immensely powerful beings made the atmosphere hum like a massive, contained storm.
He pushed open the massive, rune-etched doors.
Eight figures stood arrayed in a semi-circle, their diverse forms radiating malice, majesty, and sheer, unfiltered power. They all immediately dropped to one knee, their collective movement sounding like a heavy shroud falling onto stone.
"Lord Asmudeus. We greet the Sky Conqueror," spoke the figure at the center.
This was Azatoth, the Dark Knight. Clad in matte black armor, his visor was a featureless mirror reflecting the crimson glow in Kai's eyes. His voice was deep, disciplined, and utterly devoid of emotion.
Azatoth. He looks like a high-tier dungeon guardian, maybe Level 600 in the game's old scale, Kai thought, maintaining an unreadable expression. But these eight... the Eight Primordials. I've never seen or heard of them. They didn't exist in Divine Ascension Online lore.
This was the terrifying confirmation. This was not a game instance; this was reality.
Asmudeus floated down to the floor, his black wings creating a soundless rush of air that caused the Primordials' armor to subtly rattle. He took his seat on a smaller, secondary throne carved from bone, not the main Obsidian Throne.
"Rise," Asmudeus commanded, his voice a low, gravelly whisper of authority.
The Primordials rose. Kai looked at the faces—or lack thereof—of his subjects.
The impossibly beautiful and dangerous Euria, the Succubus Queen, offered a deep, knowing smile, her eyes the color of liquid gold. Beside her, the monstrous Ureus, the Insectar Lord, clicked his mandibles impatiently. The towering, silent form of Cocytus, the Frost King, pulsed with an aura that could flash-freeze the room.
Asmudeus leaned forward, resting his sharp-clawed hand on the armrest.
"The world shifts," he began, letting the vague statement hang in the air like a death sentence. "Report on the state of Ingrasia and the disposition of the three new borders."
Azatoth, the Dark Knight, responded instantly, showing his position as the most pragmatic field commander.
"My Lord, the borders of Draconia remain stable, enforced by the Dragon-Kin you subjugated a thousand cycles ago. However, the High Priests of Arcadia grow bold, mistaking your recent period of silence for weakness. Their incursions into the Shifting Wastes are increasing."
Arcadia. Draconia. The names of the continents are real. The Dragon-Kin? Subjugated? Kai's inner gamer brain was frantically cross-referencing: The in-game map had one main continent, Aethel. This 'Ingrasia' world is orders of magnitude larger.
Next spoke Kaizen, the Demon Lord, a figure cloaked in swirling shadows. His voice was a harsh, eager rasp.
"My Lord, the forces of Hermes—specifically the Council of Mages—have established new communication lines with the Academies of Light. They speak of a 'Prophecy' and the resurgence of the 'Heroic Lineage.' We should crush them before they gather momentum."
Kai felt a chill, not from the Frost King, but from the word Heroic Lineage. That was the endgame scenario in DAO—the only way to defeat Asmudeus.
"The Heroic Lineage is a persistent myth," Asmudeus dismissed, his tone cold. "They are gnats." He then directed his gaze toward Evil Eye, the Nightmare Queen, who stood wrapped in tattered silks, with single red mask crimson eye.
"Evil Eye. What is the status of the new power centers?"
Evil Eye's voice was high-pitched, almost childlike, a stark contrast to her terrifying appearance.
"The Abyssal Lord, Urpheus, has charted three new, massive dungeons beneath the continent of Draconia. The potential resources are infinite, My Lord. Furthermore, the Fire Lord, Uranus, has secured ninety percent of the geothermal output of the Volcanic Chain. He reports having nearly nine hundred lesser fire elementals ready for deployment."
Nine hundred elementals? That's an army! And Uranus is Fire Lord, not a planet! Get it together, Kai!
Kai nodded, outwardly calm. "Excellent work, Uranus." He directed his focus to Euria, the Succubus Queen, whose smile widened as their eyes met.
"And you, Euria. You observe the weaknesses. What counsel do you bring concerning our current vulnerabilities?"
Euria took a slow, deliberate step forward. She bowed lower than the others, her voice dripping with honeyed deference—and a subtle test.
"My Lord's strength is absolute. Our only vulnerability is the perception of weakness. The forces of Light rely on the hope that the Sky Conqueror is momentarily distracted, or perhaps… diminished." She paused, her eyes searching his. "Your brief silence was felt across the planes, my Lord. The cosmos holds its breath when the Black Winged Tyrant is still."
The internal pressure on Kai was immense. She's probing me. She senses I'm not the original. He had to assert authority now, using the one thing he knew was undeniable.
Asmudeus rose to his full, towering height, his black wings rustling slightly, his crimson eyes burning with cold, infinite Mana.
"My silence was the universe catching its breath before the next epoch," he stated, his voice now a booming, resonant sound that filled the tower. "I am not diminished. I am realigned. The rules of this world are being rewritten under my new command. You will all prepare. Azatoth, triple the patrols in the Shifting Wastes. Kaizen, establish communications with Urpheus and secure those new dungeons."
He swept his gaze across the terrified, newly energized faces of his Primordials.
"I am Asmudeus. I am the Sky Conqueror. And the age of Dark Epoch begins now. You are dismissed."
They bowed low, the eight most powerful beings in Ingrasia, accepting the new decree without question. As they filed out—their whispers a mix of fear and zealous devotion—Kai slumped back onto the bone throne.
I have infinite power, but I just found out I have to fight the Heroic Lineage, manage three separate continents, and control eight cosmic-level psychos who could probably vaporize the world if I use the wrong tone.
He looked at his impossibly pale hand, now flexing the maxed-out muscles.
"The first rule of being the final boss," Kai muttered, smiling a cold, tired smile. "Never let them see you sweat."