Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Simon smiled, a cruel, satisfied expression on his face.

"Now, you belong to me. Your strength, your knowledge, your very existence—everything you are will serve my purpose. Remember, I can feel your thoughts, and control your actions if necessary. Betrayal is not an option."

The two kings nodded their heads weakly. They were kings no more, just pawns in the demon's grand scheme.

"Good, now organise your clans. From this point on there is much to be done, you guys sure made a mess inside my dungeon. I will give you your first orders, and I expect you to fulfil your roles without fail"

"If you want to achieve success beyond your wildest imagination or fall into darkness, the choice is yours"

Leaving behind his command for the two kings, Simon turned his attention towards the one fallen on the ground.

The ogre king who was still alive but had lost consciousness.

"Capture him and throw him into the prison. The black ogre clan are also to be imprisoned".

Their king and many of the high ranking warriors defeated and with the other two tribes changing sides, the black ogre tribe had no choice but to follow the strong.

Orc army came forward and handcuffed the remaining ogres. These special handcuffs which were one of the many loots of the Forbidden Grounds, could suppress one's powers and restrict them from using skills and abilities.

Even the Black ogre clan who were proud of their strength, could not break the handcuffs. Of course, the high ranking members were detained inside special formations and taken to the prison below the training grounds.

Having finished everything that he needed to do here, Simon did not remain on the floor and teleported away.

.

.

Inside the main hall of the white palace, Simon was given a warm and respectful welcome as he entered through the door.

Everyone was abuzz as they held the strong and oppressed figure who had just wiped the ground with his opponent in the battle. They had all witnessed the scene happening on the 90th floor from here and were in awe at his powers.

Their trust which was already bordering blind faith, became even more solidified after today's event.

Although they knew their master was strong and he had repeatedly fended off invaders in the many years they had taken residence in the dungeon, this was the first time they actually saw him in action.

His unwavering confidence, cunningness and strength was etched in their eyes. He who was their lord, master and benefactor was akin to a big tree that shielded them from all the storms and harm.

It was only due to his existence that they were able to take shelter underneath his shadow. Simon nodded and smiled at the crowd.

After discussing their next set of actions, he dismissed the crowd, watching them file out of the hall with a sense of grim satisfaction.

The moment the last person left and the heavy doors closed behind them, the facade crumbled. Simon groaned, his body sagging against the wall for support.

The repercussions of superimposing so many powerful skills at once and pushing his body to its absolute limits had finally caught up with him. Pain radiated through his muscles and bones, a drops of sweat poured down his face, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He knew the backlash would be severe, far worse than anything he had experienced before. He wasn't sure he could handle it without external aid.

"I need to move to the Pond of Serenity"

As such, he quickly tried to move to the pond of serenity. Summoning every ounce of willpower, Simon forced himself to move.

Each step was a battle, the pain intensifying with every movement. His vision blurred, and black spots danced before his eyes. Due to suppressing the repercussions for too long, the fallout was much stronger than he expected.

His body was tearing itself apart from the inside, muscles and nerves screaming in protest. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Still, through sheer determination, he refused to fall.

He used his hands and brushed against the cool stone walls, using them as a guide as he dragged his body forward.

Slowly, he made his way over to the pondside.

'Just a little more' asking his body to hang in there, he took another step forward when his body reached its absolute limit. Excruciating pain that was difficult to even imagine ran through his body and he lost his footing.

Just as his body was about to fall, a fair hand supported him from the front, stopping that prideful body from falling. A beautiful scent drifted in the air soothing and invigorating one's soul.

"You're pushing yourself too hard".

He did not need to question as to who the speaker was. Even without his eyes, he could tell it was Irene. Her presence was both cold and tender.

"It was… necessary"

Simon spoke standing straight. Gathering all his strength once again, he willed his body forward.

"I don't understand. Does appearing unbeatable and invincible really that important to you?"

She was a woman and from her view, it was an extremely foolish move. Fighting all three tribe leaders was one thing but not even using the Fingers of Ozymandias and only relying upon one's abilities.

To top it off, he also suppressed his injuries and backlash from all of them… Was maintaining his pride that important to him?

Simon did not answer and limped closer to the pond. He was about to immerse his body in the pond when he turned around and spoke.

"It's not just that, the forest spring spirit, the inhabitants of the dungeon needed a symbol, a symbol of strength that they can believe in, a symbol that will never fall no matter what. I wanted everyone to give that kind of assurance…"

"But more so than that, I wanted to assure myself that I am capable of leading them. Call me petty or selfish, but I wanted to prove myself"

Even if it meant pushing his body to its very limits.

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