Dracotitán

"What's happening?" Muria looked down at the black earth beneath him, where lava spurted and demons of odd appearances were killing each other in pairs amidst unending battle cries.

"Did Mech Emperor Osiris transport us to the Abyss?" Just after Muria accepted the gift from Mech Emperor Osiris, Ansol mentioned they had to meet another epic Titan.

Thus, Mech Emperor Osiris utilized his epic power to tear through the spatial barriers of the Sky Mech City, creating a convenient space-time passage. But when Muria passed through that spatial corridor, he was greeted with the scene before him.

"No, this is our destination. This is the dwelling place of the epic Titan we're here to visit," Ansol, who had been guiding Muria, spoke.

"But this place..."

"Take a good look at the demons here. How are they different from the ones you've seen before?"

Heeding his father's advice, Muria closely observed the demons below engaged in combat. He had felt something off about these demons upon entering.

After a closer examination, Muria realized these demons differed significantly from those he had encountered before. First, their appearance: the demons here seemed taller and more robust than the same types Muria had seen before, and he found them more pleasing to the eye. At least, he didn't feel an innate disgust towards the demons below.

Secondly, these demons behaved differently from the brainless and chaotic demons Muria had seen before; they seemed to be following some order or rule.

Muria noticed the demons below engaging in one-on-one battles, fairly matched and without overpowering the weak or ganging up on the few. The power levels of all fighting demons were nearly equal, with no significant gaps.

After looking around, Muria realized all demons here were like this, engaging in duels like rigid knights, without any unfair battles taking place.

The scene before him completely overturned Muria's understanding; these demons, supposed to be chaotic and evil, were displaying orderliness on par with, or even surpassing, lawful evil devils.

"What's going on?" Muria looked at his father, perplexed. Demons more orderly than devils were something he'd never believe without seeing it himself. "What place is this, and are those below really demons?"

"This is one of the three Abyssal planes controlled by the epic Titan, Lord Ulysses, the Master of the Abyss," Ansol explained impassively to Muria. "You could say those below are demons, or not."

"Lord Ulysses?" Muria's first reaction to this title was that it belonged to an epic Titan who had fallen into the Abyss, as the title easily led to some not-so-positive associations.

"Don't jump to conclusions." Seeing Muria's expression, Ansol frowned slightly and reprimanded him. "Lord Ulysses earned the title 'Master of the Abyss' because he severed three planes from the endless Abyss and then relocated them to the outer realms of Erathia."

"Severed the Abyss!" Muria was astounded. To tear away three planes of the Abyss and move them was a feat of incredible power.

"That's the might of Lord Ulysses, the Master of the Abyss."

"So, have these demons become like this because of Lord Ulysses's influence?" Muria looked down at the demons strictly following some order with awe.

"Yes, Lord Ulysses's power erased the chaotic nature of the demons across these three planes, turning them into what they are now."

"So, are these demons now followers of Lord Ulysses?"

"Correct."

Suddenly, a giant hand enveloped in black thunder pierced through space, reaching directly for Muria. Before he could react, it grasped him and whisked him away.

"Lord Ulysses!" Seeing the hand that suddenly appeared and took his son, Ansol was not panicked but instead bowed slightly, respectfully calling out.

"Ansol! You can go back now. I'll have a word with your son and then send him back. You don't have to worry."

"Understood." Hearing this, Ansol nodded, showing no concern, and turned to leave.

...

"Lord... Ulysses." Muria's body trembled slightly as he stood in the palm of a towering Titan. At this moment, he was in his thirty-plus-meter Titan form, yet he was being held in someone's palm, indicating how immense the Titan before him was. However, Muria felt uneasy about this Titan's condition.

The epic Titan, Lord Ulysses, the Master of the Abyss, was enveloped in black and golden thunder, which roamed across his majestic true form. Outside his body, a clear distinction was made between the grey-black turbulent winds and the nearly transparent hurricanes.

"Are you afraid?" Lord Ulysses looked down, his eyes filled with storms and thunder, peering at Muria held in his hand.

Muria looked up; one of Ulysses's pupils was not much different from a normal Titan's, but the other was a destructive and tyrannical black, not something a normal Titan would possess.

"Lord Ulysses, you..." Muria's voice trembled, facing this epic Titan whose state was clearly off, without his father by his side, he felt very anxious.

"Don't be nervous, look around." Lord Ulysses spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

Turning his head slightly at these words, Muria surveyed the surroundings. The vast, barren land was different from the lifeless land he saw upon arrival.

The black land no longer had spouting lava; all lava had solidified. Moreover, there were patches of green, completely out of place.

Forests and grasslands... Muria, with his enhanced sight, could see beasts leisurely grazing and birds foraging in the nearest forest... This once desolate land was gradually coming to life.

"Is this also one of the three Abyssal planes you severed from the Abyss, Lord Ulysses?" Muria turned back, looking up at the Titan filled with a destructive aura, no longer finding the epic Titan as frightening, guessing what this formidable Titan was attempting.

"Correct."

"Lord Ulysses, are you purifying this layer of the Abyss?"

"Hehe, clever little guy."

"Then these... on you..."

"I am assimilating the Abyss, but its power is also eroding me."

"Lord Ulysses, this is too..." Muria frowned, looking at the Titan being eroded by the Abyss's power, starting to express his concern but then stopping. The epic being knew better than him what he was doing; it wasn't his place to worry.

"Kid, are you concerned I'll be corrupted by the Abyss's power?" The towering Titan laughed heartily, dismissing Muria's worries. "These mere three layers of the Abyss, I can assimilate them. Sooner or later, I will refine these three layers and return them to their normal state."

Standing on the broad palm of the Master of the Abyss, Muria listened to the epic Titan's bold words, his lips twitching. The current state of this epic lord seemed troublesome.

Muria felt something was amiss with the lord. After all, the pure black and golden thunder covering his body and the surrounding hurricanes, if intentional, were one thing; if not,

 they indicated that the power of the Abyss's master was losing control.

Neither his grandfather nor Mech Emperor Osiris had given Muria such a violent impression of their power.

But if the big shot thought he could handle it, then he could. Muria figured he needn't worry unnecessarily. After all, there were other epic Titans in their clan's territory. If something really went wrong, it was not up to him, a mere gold-tier Titan, to fret.

"Muria." Observing the speechless young Titan in his palm, Ulysses pondered for a moment. "Before coming here, you met Arkaim and Osiris, didn't you?"

"Yes, I've already met Grandfather and Lord Mech Emperor."

"What did they give you?"

Muria coughed lightly. "My grandfather gave me a giant egg from the void, and Lord Mech Emperor gave me a magi-cannon he crafted."

"Heh, as an elder, I should also give you something, but I don't have as many good items as those two; all my energy is spent refining these three layers of the Abyss."

"You don't have to..." Hearing this, Muria quickly waved his hand, indicating he didn't need a gift.

"Kid, I'm definitely giving you something, just not as special as what those two had." Saying this, the Master of the Abyss pulled another hand wrapped in black and golden thunder from the void, tearing space apart, and a hundred-meter-tall small mountain fell into his hand.

"This is a bit more mundane." The epic Titan with heterochromatic eyes raised his eyebrows at the stunned young Titan.

Muria was speechless as he stared at the mountain held in the hand of the Master of the Abyss. It was a pale blue mountain, shimmering with a metallic glow that enchanted Muria.

"Mithril." Muria wiped his mouth, afraid his excitement might leave drool. It was the first time he had seen such a large quantity of mithril.

"This is a mithril mine. The mithril extracted from it will be enough to forge a weapon you can use into adulthood."

"Just mithril ore!" Muria paused, feeling a slight sense of loss; a word's difference, yet a world apart. If it were a hundred-meter mountain of pure mithril, it would be enough to forge several weapons. If used sparingly, he could even craft a full set of armor.

"Isn't mithril enough to forge a personal weapon?"

"It is, it is." Muria nodded vigorously, to say otherwise would be too greedy.

"You desire more legendary metal is understandable, given you have Dragon King's blood in you," Lord Ulysses spoke lightly. "I can give you an opportunity."

"What opportunity?" Muria asked, curious.

"Defeat the young lady of the Celestial God clan, then win her over. After that, I'll reward you with three times the legendary metal needed to forge a personal weapon."