The Devil's Cage

Grrr!

Heavy dragging noises came when the stone door was pushed open.

Du, a loyal and competent follower, bowed and invited Kieran inside.

Kieran stepped into the golden brilliance.

In order to avoid the public infrastructures and underground pipes, the newly opened basement of Leaf Dining was only the size of a basketball court.

However, anyone who entered the room would be overwhelmed by the contents that it held.

Crossing Coins, not silver, not copper, only gold!

There were 50 boxes of Crossing Gold Coins in the room and each box had a hundred coins!

All 50 boxes of the coins were arranged neatly on the ground with the lids opened.

It wasn't Du's idea but Kieran's request.

He liked bathing under the golden radiance.

What else was more soothing for a stingy soul like Kieran than to enjoy his loot?

More loot, like what he was looking at!

He took a deep breath at the sight of the 50 boxes, curling his lips into a small grin that showed faint intoxication.

Great!

If the satisfaction on his taste buds provided him pleasure, a great amount of Crossing Gold Coins excited him to the peak.

Kieran did not forget about the sense of danger that came after the chains on his body.

How should he deal with the danger?

Getting stronger would be the only choice!

What else was more effective in growing his strength than a large amount of Crossing Gold Coins?

None!

The answer was very solid.

However, Kieran did not absorb the gold coins right away, turning around around.

Du arranged the Crossing Coins on one side and items and equipment on the other side, similar to the treasure vault in Ring City.

Kieran saw the first 200 items and equipment that he got from the city treasure vault and another 50 from the kings' secret vault.

Du purposely arranged the 50 items and equipment in the most obvious place.

Not a single one of the 50 items were lower than Legendary rank and many more were at least Advanced Rank or above.

The happiest news was, three out of the 50 could be brought out of the dungeon!

Two of which were Legendary and one was Advance Rank.

The Legendary rank items were both rings.

[Name: Twine Stinger]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Average]

[Defense: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. Tentacle Bind; 2. Absorb Soul]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This isn't truly a product of orthodox alchemy, it is the core of a monster that has ill-intentions towards Ring City. After processing, it became very weird, rejecting the kings or anyone in Ring City, not letting them wear it; even a normal person must have a very strong willpower to utilize its power.]

...

[Tentacle Bind; Tentacles come out from the void to bind the enemy. Target has to go through a Strength authentication not lower than A rank before they could be freed. When the target fails the authentication, inflict Lethal damage.]

[Absorb Soul: When target is inflicted with lethal damage, the soul will be absorbed and converted into one time Medium Healing to the wearer or charge the Twine Stinge. (Maximum charge count is 50, each charge is equivalent to five and will increase authentication rank by one plus target number +1. Unable to exceed highest rank I, once Healing effect is used, the counter will reset; when the charge count is maxed out, able to bind every living being within sight no farther than 25 meters.]

…

[Name: Sight of Light]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Average]

[Defense: Average]

[Attribute: 1 Conceal Watch; 2 Silent Guard]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Intuition A]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This isn't truly a product of orthodox alchemy, it is the core of a monster that has ill-intentions towards Ring City. After processing, it becomes very weird, rejecting the kings or anyone in Ring City, not letting them wear it. Even a normal person must have a very strong sense to utilize its power and not fall to its enchantment.]

…

[Conceal Watch: Sight of Light will provide the wearer with three invisible units that last 48 hours. Wearers can decide to attach them to any kind of surface (fire, ice, poison, lightning, will affect and weaken the units' function and existence). One invisible unit will regenerate every 24 hours, maximum three at once (regardless of being used or not). Units: 3]

…

[Silent Guard: Sight of Light will provide the wearer two silent guards that last 12 hours (The guards have the traits of shadow being, with Strong attack and immune to most physical attacks, fire, lighting will still damage the guards). One silent guard will regenerate every 48 hours, maximum two at once (Regardless of being used or not), Guards: 2]

...

The Advanced Rank Item was a mail.

Rather than considering it as a mail, it was more like a ball of water.

It was slightly cold and sticky.

[Name: Ghost Skin]

[Type: Mail]

[Rarity: I]

[Defense: I]

[Attribute: 1. Formless; 2. Ghost Form]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit SSS]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remarl: When Ring City was first founded, a group of wandering souls intruded the city and were captured by the three kings as the best experiment ingredients. Unfortunately, the experiments ultimately failed, this mail was the only product that was left behind but it rejected the three kings from using it.]

...

[Formless: The mail's original ingredient was soul, it has no form in the eyes of normal beings but it could be equipped and its defense has zero blindspot.]

[Ghost Form: When equipped with Ghost Skin, the wearer can transform into a soul with extra movement speed and able to walk through walls, unable to use originally equipped items or weapons but immune to sunlight; last 1 minute, 1 time per day]

...

Without a second thought Kieran equipped [Ghost Skin] on its body and [Twine Stinger] and [Sight of Light] on his fingers.

Perhaps these items were some distance away from his original equipment, but without having an option to choose from, Kieran welcomed any kind of item.

More so, the equipment wasn't all bad, they could be very useful when used at the right place.

After taking the three items that he would bring out of the dungeons, Kieran looked at the others, which he couldn't bring out.

Some of them automatically attracted Kieran's attention.

[Name: Water Purity Stone (Big)]

[Type: Wonder Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: 1. Water Purify; 2. Water Rear]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]

[Remark: This is a magical stone, some say it is the product of ancient alchemy, some say it is from mother nature, but as for its true origin, no one knows until this very day. Everyone seems to use its power just fine though.]

[Water Purify: Purify water quickly, making it sweeter. When used for cooking, the ingredients will be fresher.]

[Water Rear: Put the water into an aquarium (No bigger than 20 cubic meters), the quality of the fishes, shrimps and other aquatic products will increase with a small chance after 1 hours.]

…

[Name: Airon Stone (Complete)]

[Type: Wonder Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Repair]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]

[Remark: Unlike the other wonder stone, this is a special one created by the people who wished to repair the other wonder stone. It is also considered a wonder by itself most of the time.]

…..

[Repair: Repair any wonder stone below rank I]

…..

[Name: Dan Stone (Complete)]

[Rarity: Wonder Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: I]

[Attribute: 1. Sunfire Sword; 2. Strong Light Sting]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: SSS+]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]

[Remark: Dan Stone is great against monsters and souls, it didn't require special usage either, place it within the vicinity to form a small barrier that repels monsters and souls, but the user has to possess great spirit power.]

...

[Sunfire Sword: Under any source of sunlight, able to form a longsword with Strong fire element and rank I attack, 2 times per day]

[Strong Light Sting: Charge the stone under sunlight for an hour to form a Sunfire Javelin. Has rank I attack and when thrown, create a 10 meters Strong fire blast damage upon contact with target, 1 time per day]

...

[Name: Skeletal Ride]

[Type: Wonder Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: Strong]

[Defense: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. Extremespeed; 2. Air Stride]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]

[Remark: This is the carcass of a pegasus. Through the research of alchemy and necromancy, it became a ride for summon. It is very fast and has the ability to assist its rider in attack, it requires no mastery in skill to ride but the rider has to have very strong spirit power to communicate with it. Of course, it's usage counter is its bigger weak point, 5 times remaining and each ride summon is no longer than six hours.]

...

[Extremespeed: Stride in the sound of speed, can last sixhours in a single stride]

[Air Stride: Skeletal Ride can ride through any kind of terrain.]

…..

The bigger piece of [Water Purity Stone] made Kieran want to change into a bigger fish tank.

[Airon Stone] was used on [Ouna Stone] without a second thought.

[Ouna Stone], another one of the stones from the bulk of treasure, had the rarity of Legendary but the [Cracked] tag, and after the repair, the rarity jumped up to rank I.

[Name: Ouna Stone: (Complete)]

[Type: Wonder Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: I]

[Attribute: 1. Moonlight Shield; 2. Gleam Conceal]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: This is a magical stone, some say it is the product of ancient alchemy, some say it is from mother nature, but as for its true origin, no one knows until this very day. Everyone seems to use its power just fine though.]

...

[Moonlight Shield: Able to form an energy barrier of rank I defense under any source of moonlight. When shatter, the attacker will receive a Strong moon beam attack, 2 times per day]

[Gleam Conceal: +3 to Undercover under low light or dark environment.]

…...

[Ouna Stone] and [Dan Stone] obviously came in a pair.

One for daytime use and the other for nighttime use.

Kieran even suspected there was another stone for rainy day use.

The most surprising loot was [Skeletal Ride], the carcass was only as big as a palm, but contained unimaginable power.

The way this could progress Kieran's plan further and faster made his plan easier.

He put all the selected items and equipment, plus some extras, into his backpack and stepped back, taking a deep breath.

Kieran held back the urge to put every single item and equipment on himself with sheer willpower.

These items could not see the day of light just yet and he needed to exchange these less useful items and equipment for more gold coins, even though he already had 5,000 in front of him.

"Watch the door for me," Kieran said.

Bloody Mary and Du walked out and stood outside the door, left and right respectively.

Kieran then poured all the gold coins on the ground.

5,000 gold coins formed a little hill of gold, the golden radiance emanating a very special presence.

Kieran turned his back at the golden hill, put his backpack down, and leaped backwards.

Flaaaaa!

Kieran landed on top of the golden hill amidst the clinks of the coins.

He had a dream of lying down on a mountain of gold very early on in his life, it was just that he didn't have a chance to make it come true.

He did it now!

As for the feeling?

How worse could the feeling be after achieving his long-time dream?

It was marvelous!

Flaaaa!

Kieran waved his hand up and down and sunk himself deeper into the gold coins, really wanting to swim in it but the coins weren't sufficient.

What if there were 10 times more?

No, that wouldn't be enough either!

It should fill a room the size of a basketball court! Only then could he swim in it!

That day would eventually come, sooner than later.

Now?

Kieran released Gluttony after taking a few deep breaths.

Gluttony jumped to the gold coins with cheers after waiting for a very long time.

Kieran didn't even need to touch the gold coins anymore to absorb them, his whole body was absorbing the power from the coins!

It was good news for Gluttony because he could eat all he could.

The golden energy from the Crossing Coins was consumed and converted into pure energy to fuel the Cardinal Sins, Devil, Dawn, Plague and Saint Thorn.

With the increment of all five of his Origin Forces, Kieran entered that weird space with chains again.

The chains in the surrounding were still flickering.

Kieran glanced over them and then concentrated on the five chains—as thin as a strand of hair— that poked into his head.

His Origin Forces pulled one of the five chains, trying to break it.

Endless energy from the gold coins fueled his Origin Forces in the pull, Kieran didn't have to worry about exhausting his energy.

Pak Pak!

It broke!

There were four chains left and a few moments later, the fourth one also broke.

A greater catastrophe descended on the remaining three, but the chains did not react.

Pak Pak Pak!

The last three chains in Kieran's head were broken easily with the enhanced power of the Origin Forces.

When the last invisible chain broke and vanished, Kieran felt lighter, as if he had removed his sweater during summer.

He squinted his eyes pleasantly.

Energy gushed out from the bottom of his soul, having been a long time since he felt it.

Huuu!

A ball of fire appeared right in front Kieran's eyes.

The darkness and chaos that occupied Kieran's soul burned fiercely.

Half of the darkness and chaos was scorched to cinders after a moment, the remaining half grew thinner and started to fade.

Kieran didn't chase after the darkness with much experience under his belt.

He didn't chase, not just because he knew it would be useless, but also because something was happening 'outside' this 'weird space'.

A heavy sense of danger came down from above.

Kieran looked up instinctively.