Chapter 207 Instance Dungeon (3)

"What are you?" Ashton began with the most basic question, "I know you belong to a species called Xyran, but I don't even know that they are..."

[That's a tough question to answer. You may understand more when you see them yourselves, but for now, let's just say we are a species that has god-like powers. However, we are no gods, after all, we are mortal beings ourselves.]

Ashton took Astaroth's words with a grain of salt. Also, he couldn't use his [Heartbeat Sense] perk to check if he was lying or not because well, Astaroth did not have a heart and was just a voice in his head. As a result, Ashton had to believe what he was saying until he finds evidence that he isn't.

That being said, he now wanted to ask Astaroth the question that has been bugging him for a long time now. Something only he could answer.

"Back on the Island of Doom, I'm pretty sure I lost my eye while fighting those automatons and fell unconscious, was it you who helped me back then?"

[Yes, genius, that was me. I also completed the quest you were given. Did you like the rewards I chose for you? They'll come in handy later on so be sure to keep them with you. What's your last question?]

"How?" Ashton mumbled, "How are you inside me? No, let me rephrase that, how come you and I have the same body?"

[Now that's a question even I don't have an answer to... but if I had to guess, neither of us could have survived individually and thus we bonded together?]

Whatever Astaroth had just said made little to no sense to Ashton. Their survival was indirectly dependent on each other?

'I can smell the bullshit in his words. Dependent on him for survival? More like, he wants me to be dependent on him.'

[That being said, I'm pretty sure I died while entering your planet. How I am alive is as big of a mystery to me as it is to you.]

"I believe you, as much as I don't have a reason to," Ashton mumbled to make sure Astaroth didn't know what was going inside his head.

Since he had found his mother, all he needed to do was to ask her whether this alien motherfucker had told him was correct or not. That being said, he needed to 'clear' the dungeon he was in first.

But there was a slight problem... there were no monsters in his sight. Just an endless field with nothing but grass and a sun-less sky to see.

"Is this supposed to be like this?"

[Hm... nothing ever goes right on this fucking planet, does it?]

"What do you mean?"

[Dungeons like these shouldn't exist. At least based on the average level of the civilization inhabiting this place.]

Ashton ignored Astaroth's senseless ramblings and decided to investigate by himself. But he didn't remain alone for long, moments later, he could hear hasty footsteps rushing towards him.

To Ashton's surprise, more trolls were being spawned in the cave he had just exited. But rather than rushing out of the portal as they did before, they rushed towards him.

"Oh, you wanna fight me? Sure, come right- aye, where the heck are you going?"

The trolls ran past him, into the heavenly fields. Being ignored by a bunch of monsters was a first for Ashton. However, as much as he wanted to just up and kill them, he decided to wait it out.

He could get to know more about this dungeon through the help of the trolls.

[This fucking place is bugged.]

Astaroth eventually ended his ramblings with those words.

"Bugged? What do you mean?"

[I meant this dungeon has a lot of irregularities. At least, that should be the case if they haven't updated the rules and regulations.]

"... Maybe one of these days you'll say something that'll make sense."

[Maybe one of these days, you'll start using the brain cells holed up in your brain.]

As much as Ashton would have loved to bicker back and forth with the lovely resident of his head, he had things he needed to attend to. Namely, finding what those trolls were up to. But he was disappointed when he found the trolls humping each other next to what appeared to be a pond.

In the middle of the pond, some sort of a platform could be seen. Someone or something was residing on top of it... naked. Her silvery hair and strong naked physique could be the reason why those bloodthirsty trolls we humping each other like some bitch in heat, while the lady chuckled seeing them behave like that.

"They were running here to... ahem, do questionable things? What the hell is wrong with this place?"

[I already told you, this dungeon is filled with irregularities. You should find a way to clear the dungeon before it 'Overflows'. Who knows what kind of things this place would throw into that primitive world of yours.]

"Clear the dungeon. how? This is the first time I have been to a place like this and it turned out to be not working properly!"

[Lucifer didn't tell me you like to bitch about everything... what have I gotten myself into. You know what, just let me take over your body and I'll take care of everything just like the last time.]

"Yeah, you're going to have to try harder if you want a piece of me." Ashton scoffed, "Also, at least try to hide your real intentions if you're gonna be so obvious about it."

[Fine, let's see how long you can do this by yourself.]

Astaroth replied and then, his voice disappeared from Ashton's head. It seemed he had decided to sit this one out and not provide any help to Ashton.

"As if you're the one always saving my ass," Ashton mumbled and headed towards the pond to gather more information about what he needed to do, "What the hell?"

All of a sudden, multiple fish-like creatures jumped out of the water and ripped the trolls to shreds one after another before dragging the remains back inside the water. At the same time, more trolls spawned at the entrance to the cave and the cycle repeated itself over and over.

"These Xyrans have a creative imagination. Also, why the heck is no one else here yet?"

***

Back outside, the vampires had taken out all of the trolls with their united efforts. However, the moment the last troll fell, the entrance leading to the dungeon was blocked by a mysterious barrier.

The barrier was stopping anyone else from entering the dungeon, leaving Ashton to fend for himself inside.

Alucard and Griffin tried their best to find a way through the barrier, but there was nothing they could do. Neither physical nor magical attacks were even able to put a scratch on the barrier.

"Why isn't anything working?" Griffin expressed his frustration by punching the portal, only to get himself injured.

"Relax, Griffin. Your brawn isn't going to let us get through. We already tried that." Alucard mumbled while carefully analysing the portal, "Maybe having this barrier isn't so bad."

"What do you mean?" Griffin asked.

"It seems to be a two-way barrier. Meaning everything inside the dungeon would stay inside and everything outside would stay outside."

"So the monster won't be able to come out. Is that what you're saying?"

Alucard nodded, but then his expression got all serious. Having a barrier there was good and all, usually he wouldn't have wasted another minute of his life on it, but the problem was... Ashton.

He couldn't let anything happen to him. Not after his daughters had made up their minds to marry him. Also, the way the boy carried himself in a room filled with his 'predators' had left a mark on Alucard's mind.

he didn't know why but he had a feeling that the boy was destined for big things. Things, much bigger than the scope of their kingdoms and maybe even the entire world.

"I swore I'll never use it again, but if it has come to this then..." Alucard dipped his hands in his inventory and brought out a gigantic black sword.

"Alucard-" Griffin was shocked as the sword grew bigger and bigger, soon towering over the portal itself.

"I need to concentrate, Griffin... so don't... say a word."

Although Alucard's words silenced his mouth, they couldn't silence his curiosity. How could he not be curious about the relic Alucard was wielding. A weapon that was once Dracula's favourite.

A weapon that consumed innumerable souls to gain its name of... Aetherius, the sword said to hold enough power to split the heavens in one strike. It uses the blood of its wielder as well as the blood of the dead around itself to grow stronger.

That being said, the sword was believed to have been lost when Dracula disappeared. However, it seemed like that was all a lie made up to stop everyone from searching for it.