Chapter—The Devil Beneath the World Part 1.
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Luke and Kaizen landed heavily on solid ground.
The moment their feet touched the surface, Kaizen's legs trembled uncontrollably. He staggered half a step, barely managing to stay upright. Sweat ran down his temples, and his breath came out uneven. The pressure here was suffocating—far worse than near the surface. The aura density pressed against the body like deep water.
Luke noticed immediately.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice calm but alert.
Kaizen forced a nod, though his knees still shook. "I… can stand. But my aura… it's being drained faster than before."
Before them stood a semi-transparent barrier, pulsing faintly with distorted blue-black light. It felt unnatural—neither pure aura nor dungeon structure. Something old and corrupted held it together.
Luke stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and pressed his palm against the barrier.
A sharp crack echoed.
The barrier shattered like fragile glass, dissolving into particles of corrupted aura that evaporated into nothingness. The pressure shifted instantly, as if something had been exposed.
Kaizen's eyes widened.
He broke it… just like that?
Beyond the broken barrier, the space opened into a vast underground cavity. The walls pulsed faintly like veins, glowing with unstable light. At the center stood a towering figure—humanoid, yet monstrous.
Its body was composed of condensed aura, dark and distorted, with veins of glowing corruption running across its form. Horn-like structures curved backward from its head, and its eyes burned with a deep, ancient blue.
An Aura Devil.
A creature formed from the corrupted aura of the earth itself.
Kaizen felt his throat go dry.
"This… this isn't a dungeon monster," he whispered. "This is something else entirely."
The devil slowly lifted its head.
Its gaze locked onto them.
The air trembled.
Luke stepped forward slightly, placing himself half a step ahead of Kaizen.
"So," Luke said, his voice echoing calmly through the cavern, "you're the reason for all this."
The devil's lips curved into a slow, twisted smile.
A deep, reverberating laugh filled the underground space.
"How amusing," it said. "Two humans stand before me without kneeling."
Its voice wasn't loud, yet it pressed into the mind like a weight.
Kaizen swallowed hard. His instincts screamed danger.
Luke remained still.
"How did you come out of the dungeon?" Luke asked. "Or were you never truly inside one?"
The devil laughed again, louder this time.
"Dungeon?" it scoffed. "Do you truly believe we live inside dungeons?"
Its eyes flared brighter.
"We are the rulers of this world. You humans are nothing more than food… and servants."
Kaizen's pupils shrank.
Rulers… of the world?
The devil continued, spreading its arms slightly.
"We were sealed away by the so-called system. Forced into slumber. Forced into cages you call dungeons."
It sneered. "But once the two-year cycle ends… we walk free."
Luke's eyes narrowed.
"And then?" he asked.
The devil's grin widened.
"We reclaim what was always ours. This world. Its aura. Its people."
Kaizen clenched his fists.
He thought"
So it's true…
The ancient records…
My ancestor left "
The devil tilted its head.
"Why do you attack humans?" Luke asked quietly.
The devil's expression turned almost… amused.
"I tried animals first," it replied. "Forests. Jungles. Beasts."
Its voice darkened.
"They lack flavor. No complexity. No resistance."
It leaned forward slightly.
"I haven't tasted a human in over a thousand years. Dormancy sharpens hunger."
Its gaze locked onto them.
"And now… you two stand before me."
A slow, hungry smile spread across its face.
"Such rich aura. Such refined energy. You look… delicious."
Kaizen felt a chill run down his spine.
"A thousand years…" he muttered. "You've been alive that long?"Luke asked.
"Yes," the devil answered casually. "Dormant. Waiting."
It inhaled deeply.
"And now… starving."
Kaizen turned toward Luke, his voice low and tense.
"What… what should we do, sir?"
Luke didn't hesitate.
"We fight."
The devil laughed sharply.
"So you choose rebellion."
Its aura surged violently, and in an instant, a blade formed in its hand, crafted entirely from corrupted aura. The weapon hummed with destructive energy.
"Then face the consequences."
Luke whispered internally.
Auru.
> "I know," Auru replied. "Maximum output. No restraint."
The pressure exploded.
The fight began.
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The devil vanished.
In the next instant, it reappeared mid-air, charging forward at terrifying speed, blade aimed straight at them.
Luke and Kaizen reacted simultaneously, jumping in opposite directions.
Before Kaizen could even reposition, Luke had already vanished—his movement so fast it left a faint trail of blue light behind him.
Luke appeared in mid-air, pursuing the devil directly.
"I won't let you leave this place," Luke said coldly.
The devil smirked.
Then—vanished.
It reappeared behind Kaizen.
Kaizen's heart skipped.
"Behind—!"
The devil swung its blade downward.
Luke twisted in mid-air, instantly changing direction. A condensed aura sphere formed in his palm, and he hurled it forward.
The impact wasn't direct.
The devil twisted its path, barely avoiding the sphere as it exploded nearby, forcing it off-balance.
It landed lightly, sliding across the ground.
"Tch," the devil clicked its tongue. "Annoying."
Its speed increased.
It began moving in erratic patterns, zigzagging through the air, leaving afterimages behind.
"You cannot defeat me here," it said mockingly. "This is my territory."
Kaizen tried to track its movement, but his vision blurred.
Too fast…
The devil suddenly appeared above Kaizen, blade descending.
Before Kaizen could react, Luke slammed into the space between them, forming a massive aura sphere.
BOOM!
The explosion knocked the devil backward, sending dust and shattered stone flying.
A thick cloud of debris filled the cavern.
Luke and Kaizen landed side by side.
"Do you think…" Kaizen asked cautiously, "…that did it?"
Luke shook his head.
"No."
The dust parted.
The devil stood there, laughing.
"Do you truly believe such a weak attack could defeat me?"
Its aura surged.
The damage repaired itself before their eyes.
Kaizen's breath caught.
"He's… regenerating."
"As expected," Luke replied calmly.
The devil's eyes gleamed.
"Cover me," Kaizen said suddenly, forcing aura into his hands despite the strain.
Luke nodded.
Kaizen launched multiple aura spheres in rapid succession. The devil dodged, its movement fluid, almost playful.
"Now I'm getting hungry," it growled. "No more games."
The devil vanished and reappeared directly in front of Luke.
"Do you think I'll spare you?"
Before Luke could respond—
A shield flashed into existence around him.
The devil's blade shattered it instantly.
Kaizen followed up with an aura sphere, forcing the devil back.
They continued clashing—mid-air, ground, walls—over and over.
Kaizen's aura drained rapidly.
"Enough I think I have to feed it raw."
Devil angrily replied
Luke throw a aura sphere toward devil amd devil eat that aurasphere.
Kaizen was shock" He eaten your aurasphere".
Luke replied" I think he have many thing to show us."
But devil was little astonished, for him this aura was somethinh similar he had in a memory from a long while.
Kaizen ask "What happen to him".
Luke replied "I doest have any idea."
Then devil laughed.He replied
"There will be more fun defeating you now".
They again start to fight in mid air.
In that fight.
The devil suddenly lunged at Luke.
Luke had no time to dodge.
He condensed aura directly into his hand and blocked the blade.
"You…" the devil said, staring closely at him. "You are the one we met."
Luke frowned. "We've never met."
The devil's eyes narrowed.
"I remember your aura."
The impact sent shockwaves through the cavern.
Luke slid backward, boots scraping the ground.
They clashed again.
Time passed—minutes felt like hours.
Finally, they stood side by side once more.
The devil was slightly worn.
Still powerful.
Luke exhaled.
"This ends now."
He turned to Kaizen.
"I need your aura."
Kaizen didn't hesitate.
He transferred what he could, though it wasn't much.
The devil laughed.
"You can tire me, but you cannot defeat me here."
Luke stepped forward.
"Then I'll take you somewhere else."
The devil's smile faded.
He reploed"I am please with your power so I will not eat you retreat and I will make you my servent."
Luke replied"Who wants to be."
Then suddenly Luke vanished.
A streak of blue appeared behind the devil.
Before it could react— It was Luke who was behind him with high speed and blue aura trail.
Luke grabbed it from behind, locking his grip around its core.
"Now," Luke said coldly, "you're done."
The devil struggled violently.
"You cannot defeat me—!"
Luke surged upward.
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END OF PART 1