A Serpent's Tale-Chapter 365: Astral Dungeon Trial: Lost

(Eric’s POV)

I watched as Traytora entered the gateway and followed after her. But as I entered, something felt wrong. Something was interfering with the spatial tunnel.

I tried my best to keep it stable and follow Traytora at the same time, but nothing seemed to work and she was flung elsewhere whilst I was promptly thrown out of the dungeon and into the desert.

In an instant, I was back in the dungeon’s first floor. I used my senses and spread them throughout the entirety of the first floor to find where that room was, but my searches came up empty. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

It was as if the location I was looking for no longer existed, or was never even there in the first place.

’Maybe it’s because the place was sealed off from the outside? If so, then I need to deepen my search to more than just the material.’ I mused as I began to search between the layers of space, looking for even the faintest clue.

But my efforts were fruitless, as I wasn’t able to find anything. Not even any remnants of the room we were in.

’FUCK! This is bad. So very, very bad. Not only for the future but for me now. If her father finds out what happened then I’m screwed beyond compare. I have to find her immediately!’

Panic and fear set in my heart as I rushed to survey the lower floors in their entirety. But even as I passed through the second floor, a more stable version of the first, and the third floor, an expansive blue jungle, I found nothing.

All I could do was keep on searching.

_

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_

(MEANWHILE)

(Hell, Lust Domain)

"WHAT!"

Asmodeus’ outraged cry could be heard throughout the realm. And the reason for this outcry was the fact that he had lost his daughter.

Immediately he was in his viewing room, which was just an empty room save for a magical crystal orb sat atop an extremely simple pedestal.

The Demon King rushed to the orb instantly and saw static. Using his powers he was able to rewind it to a point before she disappeared.

Katraa, his wife came in with worry in her shaking hands, alarm evident in her gaze.

"Dear, what’s wrong? What happened." She asked as she came to his side and looked at the orb also, resting her tender and gentle hand on his tone yet muscular arm.

Asmodeus merely scowled quietly with his brows furrowed for a moment before he answered. "I’ve lost the connection with Traytora. I can’t sense her presence."

Katraa gasped lightly as she covered her mouth and recoiling slightly. Unable to comprehend what her husband had just said.

He had once explained to her that he could sense their daughter no matter where she was. The only exceptions where if another divine interfered, which at this point would not be many, as years prior. Not after the stunt he pulled a couple of years back.

Very few would actually dare offend him at this point. And even fewer could actually pull it off now as he’d taken measures to assure that no such thing would ever happen again.

Yet here they were, that very fear becoming reality.

Asmodeus observed the playback and listened in on their conversation, also taking note of where they were in the mortal realm.

When he was done, he was furious.

"LOKIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!"

(MEANWHILE)

(Archipelagos Waters)

"Hmm?"

"Something wrong Jose?" A tanned man in a hefty sailing getup asked Jose, who was actually Yesh in disguise.

"Oh no, everything’s fine. Just thought I heard something. Must’ve been the wind."

"Ah, never mind then."

(MEANWHILE)

(Back in Hell)

The demons shriek of rage rang out throughout all of hell and through several heavenly domains. And this was intentional. He wanted the God in question to hear him.

And it worked. Asmodeus felt a telepathic link appear, and the voice of a trembling Loki came through.

"Wh-what?"

"WHERE IS SHE!" The demon screamed through the mental link.

"W-Where is wh-who? Why are you angry?" Loki shrieked in panic.

"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER!" Asmodeus roared back.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!? I haven’t done anything! I haven’t even been paying attention to her since we last met!" The God of Mischief roared.

"Oh really? Then why has she disappeared from my senses in one of your dungeons!"

"Ugh..." Loki groaned as he rubbed his temple. "Which dungeon has she gone missing in? I’ll see what I can do to remedy this."

Asmodeus transmitted the location to Loki immediately.

"This... There’s no dungeon there." The God murmured in bewilderment.

"What do you mean there’s no dungeon there? I literally saw her enter it before she disappeared soon after!" The Demon King screamed in rebuttal.

The God responded with frustration, "I don’t know what to tell you, but there’s no dungeon there! I’m checking right now, and there’s no record of a dungeon ever being there!"

"Well, there fucking is one there! And she disappeared after pulling some shit in it!" Asmodeus screamed through the link, not actually voicing his thoughts and just standing there menacingly.

*Sigh* "I’ll investigate it if it’ll make you happy and get you off my tail" Loki responded exacerbated as he created a demon tail with his powers. Not that anyone would notice or know why he did that if they did.

"It’s a spatial dungeon hidden underground if that helps narrow it down." Asmodeus noted with a grumble.

But after he said that, Loki went silent.

Dreadfully silent.

"Loki?" Asmodeus called out to the God.

"Those don’t exist." Loki said after a concerning amount of time. He then added, "I literally made it impossible for such a thing to exist. No dungeon has any such attribute except to allow its internal space to exist as it does without destroying anything."

There was a dark silence between the two that lasted a while.

Then Asmodeus spoke, "Then what is this place? If it’s not one of yours, then maybe it’s one of Yggdrasil’s?"

"No, I have access to that kind of information on hand whenever I need it. As for what it is, I have no idea. I’ll investigate it immediately. I’ll tell you what I find if I find anything" Loki then cut of the telepathic link, leaving Asmodeus and Katraa alone.

"Will our girl be alright?" Katraa asked, unable to stay calm under the worry of her daughter’s safety.

Asmodeus took a deep breath before answering. "I don’t know."

(MEANWHILE)

(Traytora POV)

I woke up.

Actually, that’s not quite right. It was more apt to say that I had regained consciousness. My eyelids refused to open.

Actually, that was also untrue. Something was covering them up and preventing me from opening them as they were wrapped too tightly over them.

I could also feel that my body was wrapped up also, likely in bandages. It was also tied in place to prevent me from moving. My mouth was free but when I tried to move it to talk, waves of pain assaulted me all over my body.

Just after I woke up, I heard the sound of someone passing through some kind of curtain.