[CH598+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Randel and Syl arrive in front of the closest black cube, the most common entrance point from the Ellipsia Citadel Fast Travel Orbs.

Usually, a visiting party would be guided through a number of checkpoints and surveillance levels before accessing the long-term storage areas of the fortress.

While this takes quite a while, the more time-consuming part is getting on the waitlist to be guided in. For an average Lord, this may take months, or even up to a year. That would be if you have a storage box already and are just trying to access it. Beginning the process to rent a space could take years or even decades to be accepted and reviewed to make it on the list.

Just a few years is not long to wait when most of the storage cubes here have lasted longer than most of the workers that man the security checkpoints—hundreds of thousands of years.

Though, the schedule for picking up this package is much more urgent.

Randel scans the entrance platform that the two of them step onto, and once their ether transport orb dissipates, the slow walk toward hundreds of doors with guards in front of them begins.

His heart rate increases as more standard default welcoming messages and instructions on how to enter the Citadel ring through his mind.

A majority of the guards lined up in front of the one-kilometer-tall black door are very familiar Demonic Servant Avatars, yet he steers clear from trying to enter one of those doors.

While some may lead him near the location he's heading, a majority are mostly demon-owned entrances and only lead to private facilities and demon-only storage rooms he wants no part of.

The other doors have varying races guarding them, mostly lower-class Orcs, Goblin Kings, and Kobolds. It's possible to apply for positions to work here, but the lowest contract length is 1,000 years. The sky is the limit to the amount of time you can commit—as long as you're alive, the Fortress System will accept a bid.

It is mostly automated, as a large amount of the older long-term storage cells were left here even before the Demons took dominance over this zone of the realm.

It would be both impossible and unprofitable for the Demons to stop allowing other races to apply.

If they took hold of the Citadel and seized all items inside, the public would lose trust in its security and long-term reliability.

Not to mention, their new additions to the Fortress would lose their value too.

Even though many cubic, planet-sized plots are categorized for demons only, there is a large percentage of newer demon-run storage systems, as well as avatar modifications and upgrades, that are done here. Keeping the fortress a semi-all-inclusive base is in their best interest.

So, this is how Randel is able to exploit the system.

He recognizes an old 2nd Class High Orc guard that Torvak showed him holograms of before they left. The Blue Ogre told them this is one of many work contacts that he and Asic share, as sometimes, over the years, they need workers on the inside to keep their business thriving.

This guard in particular has committed his life to this role, partnered with the Warlords since their second War. He sends back all profits to a cluster of High Orc worlds he takes care of in the Lower Realm.

Randel and Syl walk up to the old guard, and he stares forward, speaking up in a raspy voice.

"State your Avatar ID and visitation reference number."

The old guard doesn't budge, but Randel nods and moves his hand up toward the guard.

"I believe my card should have all of my waitlist information documented. We're here to pick up some crafting items left in long-term storage."