Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 933- Sphinx Dungeon

If she wished to investigate someone, it would be child's play. Simon had been working hard to develop his own network, trying to use the kingdom to spread his influence through the regions.

But he was painfully aware that his efforts were still in their infancy compared to a Demon Lord of her stature.

If she wanted to, she could probably know everything about him. But the real concern wasn't the fact that Lilith knew of him—many beings might eventually come to learn of him as he grew stronger.

Simon's greatest fear was whether or not she had discovered his most closely guarded secret: the Fragments of Pride. He had made sure that no one, aside from his closest subordinates, knew of its existence.

If Lilith, or anyone else of her calibre, were to find out... the consequences could be catastrophic.

Simon shook his head. No, it's unlikely. There's no way she could know about the Fragments. Not yet.

Other than that, there was also the thing she mentioned. The last Hexennacht had indeed been... eventful, to say the least. He had made powerful allies, but even more powerful enemies.

It wouldn't be surprising if some of those enemies tried to stop him before he could even set foot on the airship. His mind raced as he considered his options.

Wailing Spire seemed like the most logical choice—closer to his territory and somewhat less treacherous than the other locations. However, even the Forgotten Valley and Sphinx Desert had their dangers, especially for someone who had made as many enemies as he had.

The idea of ambushes along the way was not out of the question. As for the other names, Abaddon's Maw and the Gehenna's Gate in the Black Sun Wasteland were something he had never heard before.

It was only natural since he had yet to fully explore the Demon continent and his Memory of the world was incomplete.

"What's wrong?"

Irene's soft voice cut through his thoughts. She noticed the sudden change in his expression after he finished reading the letter.

Simon handed her the letter without a word. As her eyes skimmed over the content, her face reflected the same shock and worry he had felt.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked.

What was he going to do? The answer was obvious. There was no real choice in the matter.

"I have to attend," Simon sighed. The letter hadn't been sent by just anyone—it came directly from Lilith, one of the Demon Lords who stood at the pinnacle of the demonic hierarchy.

A being as high as her didn't send casual invitations. It was a command in the guise of a letter, and while the tone of the message was playful and teasing, the power behind it was absolute.

Refusal was not an option.

The hierarchy of demons was rigid, and those ranked lower were expected to obey the commands of those ranked higher. As a Demon Marquess, Simon was still several levels beneath a being like Lilith.

Even other Demon Lords or Archdukes had to show deference when standing before a primordial Demon Lord like her. No amount of pride could override that fact.

And while this was just a 'Tea Party', the mere fact that all invitees were Archdukes and Dukes only made Simon's inclusion more baffling.

Why me? he wondered, trying to piece together her motives. There had to be a reason, but no matter how hard he thought, the reasoning behind her invitation never came to him.

He couldn't figure out the intentions of this woman.

"Forget about it," he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. "Thinking about it without more information will only give me a headache."

He had three months until the party, which was more than enough time to prepare. Whatever Lilith's intention was, Simon would need to prepare with the best of his ability. He couldn't afford to go in blind.

Sighing, he decided to push the matter aside for now. There was work to be done. He had been immersing himself in the Pond of Serenity not only to uncover rare treasures but also to advance his training.

Recently, Simon had hit a bottleneck in his growth, one that couldn't be overcome by brute force alone.

That's where the mystical pond came in—it had a unique ability to soothe the mind and body, allowing those who entered it to loosen their bottlenecks and gain new enlightenment. But that wasn't its only gift.

The Pond of Serenity was said to improve the latent talent of those who submerged themselves in its waters, nurturing their potential in ways that were otherwise impossible.

It wasn't a miracle cure—its effects were subtle and required regular immersion to see any real progress. Simon dived inside the tranquil waters of the pool day after day and only through that was he able to improve his talent.

It was a slow and almost imperceptible process, but he knew that without the pond, his talent as a demon would have long since hit its peak.

The talent of a Demon Baron was inherently limited. Their potential for growth, particularly in the areas of higher-tier magic and complex skills like Amalgamation Magic, was stunted compared to higher-ranking demons.

Most Barons would struggle to even cast mid-tier spells, let alone the powerful, devastating magics of the higher ranks. But Simon had been different from the very beginning.

He not only learned advanced and high-ranking magic, but his proficiency with them surpassed beings that should have far outclassed him in power and rank.

This was the real advantage of the Pond of Serenity. Nurturing and cultivating one's talent. Every time he submerged in the pool, his mind felt clearer, and his connection to the magic around him grew more attuned.

The pond didn't work miracles overnight, but its long-term effects were undeniable. His strength, both physically and magically, had grown leaps and bounds beyond what should have been possible for someone of his rank.

And now that he had reached a wall, only the pond of serenity could help him surmount it.