Reincarnated in a novel: I am the villain!-Chapter 255: True Demons

Time soon passed, and after the initial explanation of the levels of the abyss by Elian, the other drifters soon went to work

The screams of the imps had long since been dead, replaced by the crackling of a fire.

Isabelle, following her instincts as a maid, had organized the survivors, giving them the Imps’ food stores and weapons.

After which, following her command they were currently huddled on the edge of the clearing, watching the masked figure in the black coat with a mix of reverence and terror.

Fortunately or unfortunately for them, Damien didn’t pay them any mind.

He sat on a log near the central fire, the Visage of a lonely child who missed his parents reflecting the flames.

Opposite him sat Elian. The former Arch-Mage looked like a new man.

The Sanity Potion had cleared the fog from his eyes, and a full meal had put a little color back into his grey cheeks.

He was currently using a stick to draw a complex diagram in the ash-covered dirt.

"You need to understand the scale of what you are attempting," Elian rasped, sketching a descending spiral. "The Abyss isn’t just a deep hole. It’s an inverted world."

"It’s divided into many floors and each floor has a different amount of layers"

"And right now we’re on the second layer of the first floor"

He tapped the top of the diagram.

"A place locally called The Wild lands"

Elian pointed to the first three sections of his drawing.

"Layers 1, 2, and 3," Elian explained, his voice taking on a professorial tone.

"The Ash Wastes. The Spore Sea. The Great Lake. These are the chaotic layers. Abyss mana The mana here is wild, unrefined. The creatures are feral beasts, mutants, or low-intelligence tribes like these Imps."

He looked at Damien.

"Here, strength is the only law. If you are strong, you eat. If you are weak, you are eaten. It is brutal, but simple."

"A true fitting nature to the abyss"

He drew a heavy line under Layer 3.

"But below this... the rules change."

He pointed to Layers 4, 5, and 6.

"The Noble Realms," Elian whispered, a shadow passing over his face.

"This is where I lost everything. Here, the Abyss-Born, the True Demons, have established civilizations." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"They have cities of obsidian and red jade. They have trade routes, slave markets, and armies."

"They aren’t your run of the mill average demons, these are where the main command forces when invading the surface world reside"

"All headed by the leader of the first floor"

Damien leaned forward, a certain word had pricked his attention. "Civilization?"

"Feudalism," Elian corrected.

"Viscounts. Earls. Dukes. They rule their territories with iron laws. If you kill a beast in Layer 2, no one cares. But if you kill a Noble in Layer 4? You will have legions of Demon Knights hunting you down."

Isabelle frowned, standing behind Damien. "So we can’t just kill our way through?"

"Not unless you want to fight an entire layer," Elian warned.

"To survive the Noble Realms, you need fame and strength. You need to be a guest, a mercenary, or a trader. Humans are usually slaves or food... unless they prove they are useful."

Elian moved his stick further down. Layers 7, 8, and 9.

"The Deep Abyss," Elian said, his hand trembling slightly. "The domain of the Warlords. The Grand Dukes. This is where the pressure becomes lethal. The abyss mana density is so high that a normal human would be crushed into paste instantly."

He looked at Damien.

"You mentioned looking for someone in Layer 9?"

"The Rotting King," Damien said calmly.

Elian flinched. "The Lord of Decay. He is a candidate for Godhood. To enter his domain is suicide."

"He’s also the current lord of the first layer!l

He tapped the bottom of the spiral.

"And below that..., that would probably be and entrance to the second floor"

Damien absorbed the information.

’Interesting, it seems things aren’t going to be easy.’

"Tell me about the locals," Damien asked. "You mentioned True Demons."

"Yes," Elian nodded.

"There is a caste system."

He pointed to the dead bodies of the Imps nearby.

"Low Demons like these... they are trash. Cannon fodder."

"Mutants, like the Drifters who mutate after staying too long are considered pests. Vermin."

"But the Abyss-Born..." Elian described them with fear.

"They look almost human, but perfect. Beautiful. Terrifying. Succubi, Incubi, High Demons. They are born with magic cores that dwarf ours. They view us the way we view cattle."

He looked at Damien’s gear.

"You are strong, Mage. I saw you crush that Imp Lord. But in the Noble Realms, an Imp Lord would be a gate guard. A servant. Do not let your arrogance be your grave."

Damien stood up, the chains on his arms rattling softly.

"I appreciate the warning, Elian. But I didn’t come here to play politics. I came here to find someone."

He looked at the towering fungal trees surrounding the clearing.

"How do we leave Layer 2? I haven’t seen a vortex or a gate."

"There is no gate," Elian stood up, leaning on his bone cane.

"Layer 2 is alive. It’s a single, massive organism."

He pointed deeper into the jungle, where the bioluminescent spores were thickest.

"To open the path to Layer 3, you must disrupt the Vein of the Earth. It’s a massive mana-flow that regulates the forest."

"And I assume," Damien said dryly, "it’s unguarded?"

Elian chuckled darkly.

"The Guardian of Layer 2," Elian whispered. "It isn’t a regular demon, rather it is the forest’s immune system."

"A creature of spores and hallucinations. it feeds you your own nightmares until you sit down and let the moss consume you."

Damien nodded wondering if his will was strong enough to resist such an opponent .

"Nightmares," Damien scoffed.

He turned to Isabelle.

"Pack up. Well rest for a bit then move out"

He looked at Elian.

"Let’s clear this abyss as soon as possible and go back home, I’m tired of this place."

Looking at the scared drifters, his face under the mask remained as cold as ever