[Vol. 9] Chapter 124: The Heart of the World
Up to this point, how much hardship and effort had they gone through just to control the flow of this terrifying power. Just to take even the tiniest bit of it and make it their own?
No one understood the horror of that underground fire better than those who had worked with it for so long.
No matter how difficult things got, or how close they had come to being exposed in the past, Jeros had never once lost his nerve or backed down.
He always believed in the absolute power of that force, believed that as long as they relied on it, no matter how strong their enemies were, they could easily crush them with this ultimate weapon.
It was exactly because of that confidence and arrogance that, when the unbelievable scene unfolded before his eyes, the impact hit him like the sky itself had fallen.
And it wasn’t just Jeros. All around him, within a vast underground cavern covering thousands of square meters, black-robed cultists filled the area surrounding a huge hollow pit at the center.
At least a hundred of them had been called here urgently, frantically channeling power into the cracking cylindrical barrier in an attempt to stabilize the collapsing formation.
Yet even though they tried their hardest to hide it, the fear and panic on their pale faces were obvious.
Every time the semi-transparent passage connecting the upper and lower layers, the one that stood like a massive supporting pillar, shook, the violent tremors made several of them cough up blood. Some were so terrified that they fainted on the spot.
This power… was too strong.
So strong that even though it wasn’t targeting them directly, it could still crush the mere humans standing nearby with ease!
Right here, just moments ago, they had witnessed something no one could explain.
The raging sea of flames that had erupted from the depths of the earth, which should have swallowed all intruders above, had been forced backward by a golden light and shadow of unknown origin.
The opponent moved so fast that no one, not even Jeros, had managed to see its true form. But the sight of the infernal fire retreating and disappearing was undeniable fact.
Even more terrifyingly, judging from the violent tremors coming through the barrier, that unknown force was breaking through the ancient seals deep below the earth, barriers meant to separate and contain the things hidden down there.
And those barriers…
They weren’t something anyone here could have built.
They had existed long before Black Hand came to this place, before this base was even founded, perhaps since ancient times.
All they had ever done was use the feather left behind by a god to resonate with those old barriers, to slightly bypass their effects and draw out a small portion of the sealed power.
But now, what was that thing doing!?
Neither the infernal flames nor the ancient barriers, those great and sacred things they had always treated with extreme caution, could even slow it down!
What kind of monster had arrived here?! And what on earth was it trying to do?!
No… no, no, no!
Jeros’s thoughts were spiraling into madness.
It couldn’t possibly be a living creature. It must be some kind of one-time ancient weapon, a relic from ages past, like the barriers themselves!
Yes… yes, that had to be it!
“BOOM!!!”
Suddenly, a deafening explosion burst beside Mr. Black Hand’s ears. The pillar-like barrier connecting the giant cavern’s upper and lower chambers finally shattered under the unbearable pressure!
A violent shockwave blasted outward.
Countless black-robed cultists who had been struggling to maintain the barrier’s power were blown away like ants struck by the hand of a god, spitting blood as they slammed into the walls with sickening thuds. Whether they lived or died was unknown.
Soon after, one of the few survivors stumbled toward Jeros, crawling and staggering like a man in mourning. Trembling all over, he forced out his report through sheer terror.
“M–My Lord! The control points we built on those barriers… they—they’ve all lost contact! I’m afraid that…”
…It was over.
Mr. Black Hand’s hooded face instantly turned pale. His not-so-tall body swayed slightly as he turned expressionlessly toward his terrified subordinates. At that moment, there was only one thought left in his mind.
All the planning, all the effort they had put in up to this point… Gone in an instant, burned to nothing.
Heh… hehehe…
What terrifying power.
So this… is the difference between mere mortals and truly great beings.
He opened his mouth to speak, but when he finally managed to make a sound, he realized his voice had become hoarse and dry.
Thousands of words were stuck in his throat, and after struggling for a long time, he could only let out a bitter sigh.
“How many people do we still have who can move?”
“M–Most of the main members are here today. After counting the dead and heavily wounded, there are… less than thirty who can still fight.”
Hearing his subordinate’s trembling, almost tearful tone, Black Hand took several deep breaths, forcing himself not to think about that terrifying being. The one that had forced back the infernal flames and shattered the ancient barriers. When he opened his eyes again, his expression had turned calm.
“Take part of the materials we just collected and give them to the seriously injured. Tell the rest who can still move to gather all the materials and results we can carry. Destroy everything else that can’t be taken with us. Prepare to retreat with me.”
“Yes, sir! Ah… but, my lord, the extracted materials are still unstable. They can give great power to whoever uses them, but—”
Before the black-robed follower could finish his warning, he met Jeros’s cold gaze. His heart jumped in fear, realizing what his master likely meant, he quickly lowered his head.
“Y–Yes, I understand. But about the enemies outside…”
“Don’t worry about them for now. Didn’t they foolishly use their secret weapon to destroy the barrier below? Perfect. That means the things that escaped underground with the infernal flames, and that we later trapped inside, will soon break free again. That should be more than enough for them to deal with… Go, deliver my order immediately.”
“Y–Yes, sir!”
Watching his subordinate rush away in panic, Jeros lifted his head and stared blankly at the hollow space above.
He took another deep breath, then pulled out a white magic crystal that gave off a faint golden light from his storage device and gripped it tightly in his hand.
“It’s fine… It’s fine. I still have one last trump card…”
…………………………………
Facing the roaring sea of fire and breaking through one mysterious barrier after another, Violet finally descended into a vast, brand-new world after what felt like an endless fall.
A world that could not truly be called a world.
“So this is… where the flames came from?”
The girl in the white robe spread her half-transparent, radiant wings of light behind her and floated silently above the fiery ocean.
Below her, molten lava boiled and bubbled, sending waves upward. Above her, blue and gray thunderclouds twisted together, and hurricane winds slashed at her wings like blades, creating metallic roars.
But none of this was natural, nor was it the attack of any living being.
It was pure, violent, almost tangible, and filled with endless destructive power. Elemental energy.
The priestess furrowed her brows slightly, sensing the chaotic, raging elemental storm around her. Each force capable of bringing total destruction to any living thing.
Then, suddenly, a realization surfaced in her mind.
“Oh… I think I know where this is now.”
Yes. She was sure of it.
This was the foundation of the world…
The legendary, true Lower Dimension Realm.