Devouring Dragon Heir-Chapter 22: Ch Where is the Gate?

Klaus opened his eyes, the strange, disorienting dizziness from the spatial fluctuation slowly fading. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, and took in his surroundings.

The cold feeling of the Gate was gone, replaced by the familiar, slightly humid air of the capital city’s outskirts. He was no longer in the frigid depths of the dungeon,

Instead, he found himself back at the entrance area of the gate, the very spot he had entered from just a few days ago.

But he wasn’t alone. Almost every person who had been inside the now-vanished dungeon seemed to have been ejected, standing bewildered in the open.

However, that wasn’t even the weirdest part of the equation. The most unsettling thing was that he couldn’t see the shimmering, swirling portal of the Ice Golem’s Lair anymore.

It was simply gone. Where the gate had once stood, a vibrant, ethereal vortex leading to another dimension, there was now only a solid rock face, undisturbed and utterly mundane.

It was as if the gate had never existed.

"Oh god, don’t tell me I ate up the whole dungeon,"

Klaus muttered under his breath, a cold knot forming in his stomach. The thought was absurd, yet terrifyingly plausible given the system’s bizarre abilities.

A few notifications had appeared in front of him, but he couldn’t focus on them. The commotion was too huge.

The air was full of panicked shouts and confused exclamations. Hunters, still clad in their battle gear, pointed frantically at the space, their faces etched with disbelief and outright terror.

Klaus’s first instinct was to bolt, to disappear into the city before the inevitable arrival of the Hunter Association. But then the thought stopped him cold.

He had officially issued a permit for this gate. His presence, his entry time, and his identity all were recorded. Fleeing would only make him look suspicious, a prime suspect of this unprecedented, catastrophic phenomenon.

So, he forced himself to relax his shoulders slightly, letting out a controlled breath. He quickly masked his face with a confused and panicky expression, mimicking those around him.

He had to blend in, to become just another bewildered victim of the bizarre phenomenon.

He could hear fragments of panicked voices swirling through the crowd.

"Fck, what happened? I was just about to defeat the boss!" cried one burly hunter, clutching his head, his face pale.

Another shrieked, "Be quick! Call the association and the media! This has never happened anywhere in the world before!" The sheer level of chaos was almost comical, if it wasn’t so serious.

Seasoned hunters, who faced death daily in dungeons, were reduced to shouting, bewildered children.

Klaus also spotted the rude gatekeeper he had met earlier. The man’s usual stern, arrogant demeanour was completely shattered, replaced by a wide-eyed shock that made his face look alien.

He was trying, rather ineffectively, to calm down the panicked hunters, his voice cracking, his trembling hands betraying his hidden fear. He was just another victim of the incomprehensible and the unknown.

Only when the piercing wail of multiple sirens cut through the chaotic atmosphere did the panicked crowd begin to calm down, their shouts slowly dying into a tense murmur.

A convoy of sleek black cars, modified for speed and durability, screeched to a halt nearby. From them, various men in equally immaculate black suits emerged.

Their auras, cold and heavy, flared, unmistakable signs that they were high-ranking hunters, radiating an oppressive power that silenced the crowd more effectively than any shouted command.

These weren’t just any hunters; these were the top cream, the special investigation unit of the association.

Many of these imposing figures approached the space where the gate had been and surrounded the gatekeeper, their expressions grim. Klaus could see a brief, intense conversation happening, the gatekeeper’s posture shrinking further under their scrutiny.

In the lead was a man in a similar black suit, but he carried an undeniable air of authority that set him apart, even among these powerful individuals. He had a stern, chiselled face and eyes that seemed to miss nothing.

After a few tense moments, the lead man turned around, his gaze sweeping over the disoriented crowd.

His voice, deep and resonant, boomed, carrying easily over the subdued murmurs.

"Dear hunters," he began, his tone grave, "I would like to make an urgent announcement. The gate known as the ’Ice Golem’s Lair’ has somehow mysteriously disappeared. We are as shocked as you are to witness this strange phenomenon.

This is the first incident of its type in recorded history, and we request your patience and calm. We understand your concerns, but for now, we advise you to return to your homes. You will be called for further investigation if needed. We also strongly advise that you avoid travelling out of the capital station for approximately a week."

Listening to his voice, most of the hunters stayed silent, their fear and confusion momentarily overridden by the raw power of his aura, which seemed to be leaking out, perhaps deliberately, to maintain order and discourage any outbursts.

The authority in his voice was absolute. Klaus felt a grudging respect for the man’s control over the volatile situation. Eventually, the crowd began to disperse, leaving one by one, a mixture of bewilderment and relief on their faces.

Klaus slipped seamlessly into the departing current of people while still maintaining an expression of confusion to blend in among the people.

Once he was beyond the outer fencing, the area exploded with activity. Various media reporters, their cameras flashing like a storm, rushed towards the departing hunters, eager to ask about their experience. Microphones were shoved into faces, questions barked, and the chaotic scene made it clear that this event was already blowing up.

In a matter of minutes, the news about the mysterious disappearance of a monster gate boomed across the entire world, sending shockwaves through the global hunter community.

It was a headline that would dominate broadcasts and newspapers for weeks.

Meanwhile, Klaus, managing to avoid the media circus and returned to the inn where he was staying.

The small room felt like a sanctuary after the overwhelming chaos outside.

He ordered some food, acting as normal as possible, and went straight to his room.

Once the door clicked shut behind him, he let out a long, slow sigh of relief.

Finally, he could properly assess the damage–or rather, the strange and unbelievable consequences–absorbing that dungeon core.

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Sitting on the edge of his bed, Klaus brought up his system panel. The notifications he had glimpsed earlier now filled his vision, demanding his full attention.

[Congratulations Host, on absorbing the Dungeon Core of the Ice Golem’s Lair!]

[You have gained:

1.Skill: Ice Golem Summoning (C)

2.Trait: Gatemaster (S)

3.Ice Affinity: 0.08% --> 0.1%

4.Subspace: Ice-Golem’s Lair]

"Quite a few new things and a special trait and that too S ranked" Klaus mused, a slow, disbelieving smile spreading across his face.

He was beyond excited to see such unexpected, monumental gifts.

From the names alone, he could somewhat guess what they were, but he needed the system’s full, detailed explanation for confirmation.

This was too big to guess.

"System, explain these" he commanded

[Here are the following effects, Host:

Skill - Ice Golem Summoning (C) (Growth)

Effects: Can summon D-ranked ice golems to serve the Host in any way. The number summoned depends on the amount of mana used by the Host.Can summon the Ice Golem Boss once every 24 hours to serve the Host.

Conditions of Upgrade: Ice Affinity at 1%

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Trait - Gatemaster (S) (Type - Growth)

Effects:

1.The Host can detect the core of any dungeon if the proximity is within 1000 meters.

2.Monsters in any gate, if they are weaker than the Host, naturally obey him.

3.???

4.???

5.???

6.???

Conditions of Upgrade:

- Cores absorbed (1/10)

- Reach the SSS rank

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subspace - Ice-Golem’s Lair

Description: A separate dimension anchored to the Host’s soul and can be accessed by the Host only. As the master of this world, you are granted certain authorities.

Authorities:

1. The Host can enter the world anytime at their convenience.

2. No one can enter or leave the world without the Host’s permission.

3. The Host cannot die inside the dimension for any reason; he will be revived indefinitely in case of death.

4. The world will obey the Host in any way.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Interesting"

Klaus mused, rubbing his chin, his mind already whirring. The sheer scope of these new abilities was staggering, almost unbelievable.

He now had his dimension, control over weaker monsters, and the ability to summon a golem army.

"Well that is so if my mana allows"

His gaze lingered on "Ice-Golem’s Lair" under Subspace. It sounded too generic, too much like a public dungeon.

This was his realm now.

"Can we change the name of the subspace?" he asked, a whimsical thought striking him.

[Since the name of the gate was given by the humans and not the universe so it can be changed]

The system replied, its tone as flat as ever.

"Nice," Klaus grinned.

"Change it to Iceworld" It sounded more fitting

[Ding! Subspace renamed to Iceworld]

The implications of this Iceworld were immense. An unbreakable sanctuary, a private training ground, a limitless source of resources.

He could level up his Ice Affinity although the process would be immensely slow and would take years to progress just 0.1%

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But still, the indefinite revival alone was a game-changer; it meant he could take risks, push himself to the brink of death, and experiment without any permanent consequence.

"So, Ice Golem Summoning," Klaus mused, bringing his focus back to the new skill. Being able to summon D-rank golems at will, limited only by his mana, was incredibly useful.

He could use them as cannon fodder, as distractions for powerful foes, or even as direct combat support.

He could even imagine using them for resource gathering within his Iceworld in the future.

Then there was the Gatemaster trait. Detecting dungeon cores within a kilometre meant he could efficiently hunt for more of these cores potentially gaining more subspaces.

Moreover, now the monsters weaker than him would naturally obey him. He could potentially build an army, or at least a strong personal guard, from the gates he conquered.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of his food. He opened it, took the tray, and closed the door, the aroma of a hot meal filling the small room.

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