Chapter 572. To the Underworld!
Translator: Boko
As a reward for completing the G.o.ddess of Death"s task, Kang Oh and Eder were given a single opportunity to venture into the underworld.
Sephiro was also given this rare opportunity, though he wasn"t here at the moment.
"Eder, you"re the hope of all Necromancers! Promise me that you"ll come back and record everything that you"ve learned! Do you understand?" Thalesman tightly grabbed Eder"s hand.
"Understood." Eder nodded his head.
"Is there anything you know about the underworld?" Kang Oh asked.
A high-ranking Necromancer was capable of calling the souls of the dead. He must have learnt something from those souls.
"The living know basically nothing about the underworld. A huge river flows through it, which washes away the deceased"s memories."
"Hmm."
If this was all the Necromancer of Knowledge knew, then there must be almost no information on the underworld.
However...!
The G.o.ddess of Death"s priests should know more about the underworld.
Kang Oh thought of Cyndia.
If he wanted access to the underworld, then he would have to talk to her first. He might as well ask her about the underworld while he"s at it.
Kang Oh, Eder, and Asu left Thalesman"s tower, and then met up with Sephiro and Nile.
"Ooh, the underworld. Please take me with you!" Nile grabbed Kang Oh"s sleeve looking mighty jealous. "Bro, please take me with you!"
"I want to go too!" Asu said, her eyes bright and clear.
"Let"s go to the Temple of Death together. I"ll ask them if you can come with us."
"Really?"
"I knew you wouldn"t let me down, Brother!"
Asu and Nile jumped into the air.
Kang Oh"s party headed for the G.o.ddess"s Land.
* * *
They reappeared in Latnia, a city devoted to the G.o.ddess of Death. The buildings were all painted with a black ring, which was Deborah"s symbol.
Now it wasn"t such a rare sight to see players here.
An adventurer had discovered the way to Despia. That adventurer had set up a transfer magic circle in Latnia, and had begun a transportation business.
After that, high level players trickled in, attracted by the promise of a better hunting ground and dungeons.
Kang Oh had to hide his ident.i.ty. It wasn"t as bad as a large city like Altein, but it"d become a pain in the a.s.s if he went around with his face uncovered.
Sephiro and Nile had to do the same.
They were both Numbers. While they weren"t nearly as popular as Kang Oh, they were still renowned enough that someone would recognize them.
Waryong was just as popular as them, so it was resting in its own personal nest, an egg, within Sephiro"s inventory.
Asu was different; unlike in real life, she wasn"t really well known in the game.
Kang Oh"s party followed the road to the top of Mt. Latnia. The Great Temple of Death was located on the summit.
It wasn"t a place that anyone could enter. The church"s paladins studiously guarded the entrance.
Normally, an individual would be required to offer up tribute on top of the altar, and would be allowed entrance if the G.o.ddess was satisfied.
However, Kang Oh"s party was an exception.
"h.e.l.lo." Kang Oh slightly showed his face.
"h.e.l.lo, Mr. Kang Oh." The paladin, who"d fought alongside Kang Oh against the Mayanes, smiled happily.
"I came to see Ms. Cyndia."
"I"ll take you to her."
The Temple of Death hadn"t changed. The old pillars and statues were well-kept, and the atmosphere inside was both solemn and heavy.
This was Asu and Nile"s first time here, so they spent all their time looking around.
However, there wasn"t actually that much to see, so they soon lost interest.
"Ms. Cyndia is inside."
The paladin left them right after.
They opened the marble door, and saw Cyndia sitting in front of a long table. She was wearing the High Priest"s garments.
"Welcome." Cyndia slightly smiled.
"It"s been a while. Congratulations on becoming the High Priest."
The High Priest.
It was the highest attainable position in a church.
"Thank you. Please, sit down."
His party sat down side-by-side.
Then, he said, "I came to speak with the G.o.ddess. I want to go to the underworld. That includes everyone here. Please ask her if it"s alright if Asu and Nile join us."
"I"ll let the G.o.ddess know."
"Thank you. By the way, is there anything you know about the underworld?"
"The underworld is a place where souls are cleansed."
"Souls are cleansed?"
"Souls are filled with memories. If those memories aren"t washed away, then they cannot be born again."
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"Please tell me more."
"I don"t know much else either." Cyndia shook her head.
"Tch."
"Then, if you"ll excuse me."
Cyndia closed her eyes and clasped her hands. Then, the top of her head radiated light.
A purple veil, along with the G.o.ddess"s silhouette, appeared behind her.
"Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro." The G.o.ddess"s voice was as grim as ever. It made anyone who listened to her pay attention.
"Supreme One," Kang Oh bowed his head and said politely. The rest of his party followed suit.
"I heard you wanted to go to the underworld."
"Yes. Is it alright if these two accompany us?" Kang Oh said carefully, pointing at Asu and Nile. He was well aware that the underworld wasn"t a place that just anyone could go to.
"I"ll allow it."
"Thank you."
Kang Oh was rattled by how easily she accepted his request, so he quickly thanked her before she changed her mind.
"In exchange... I need you to do something for me."
As expected!
There was nothing free in this world.
"What do you require of me?"
"It won"t be as hard as killing the Mayanes, will it? Well, I suppose I"ll do it if she offers me a good enough reward."
"In three days, the door to the underworld will open at nighttime. There"ll be a guide there. Follow their instructions."
"Understood. Supreme One."
"Speak."
"I wish to procure the Resurrection Stone from the underworld."
The Resurrection Stone.
It was a precious treasure that could create a new body suitable for one"s soul!
Even if he managed to find it, he would need Deborah"s permission to take it outside of the underworld.
"The Resurrection Stone is not for you to take."
"I know someone who was poisoned by the Evil G.o.d"s power. His name is Valan... I need the Resurrection Stone in order to save him. Is there any way you can grant me your permission?" Kang Oh said earnestly.
"The Guardian of the Continent, Valan."
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"Valan did much to maintain the balance of the continent..." The G.o.ddess was briefly silent, and then said, "Fine. I will allow you to use the Resurrection Stone on Valan. However, I will not permit you to use it on anyone else. Do it, and divine punishment awaits you," Deborah said strictly.
"Of course."
"The guide will show you the way to the Resurrection Stone."
"Thank you."
"This is Valan"s reward for protecting the continent. Prepare yourselves thoroughly. The underworld is incredibly dangerous. Make sure you bring Demon Sword Ubist with you. You"ll need it."
The purple veil disappeared. Deborah had left the mortal plane.
"Nice." Nile clenched his fist. "Yeah, I get to go to the underworld!"
"Thanks, Oppa." Asu hugged him.
Kang Oh grinned.
* * *
Three days went by in a flash.
Kang Oh, Asu, Sephiro, Eder, and Nile prepared themselves the best they could, and then returned to Latnia City.
The G.o.ddess"s Land was an enclosed s.p.a.ce; it didn"t have a sky, but a ceiling. The ceiling was lined with giant spheres which illuminated the land. Then, they would shut off, allowing darkness to cover the land.
"Let"s go."
It was the time to enter the underworld.
Kang Oh"s party immediately headed east. The door to the underworld was located in a dungeon to the east.
Flap.
Waryong forcefully flapped its wings and flew in the air, carrying Sephiro, Eder, and Nile.
There was a white-winged pegasus behind them.
It was the pegasus that Dukeram had originally used. However, Kang Oh had killed Dukeram over and over again, and had eventually gotten his hands on the summoning whistle.
Snort.
The pegasus snorted, carrying both Kang Oh and Asu.
The wyvern and pegasus cut through the dark, vast gra.s.slands.
Sometime later...
[You have entered the Entrance to the Underworld.]
Kang Oh"s party entered what was originally the??? Dungeon, which was filled to the brim with Basilisks.
Yellow eyes glowed within the darkness!
They released incredible pressure, but they were nothing more than delicious, nutritious prey for Kang Oh"s party.
Moreover, Kang Oh knew where the door to the underworld was.
His party slaughtered every Basilisk in their way, and instantly reached their destination.
Kang Oh, who led his party from the front, raised his head and stopped his party. Then, he shushed them with his index finger.
Shh.
Snore. Snore. Snore.
They could hear snoring from within the chamber.
It was coming from the three-headed dog, the Cerberus.
A door the size of a 10-story building stood behind the p.r.o.ne, sleeping dog.
Kang Oh carefully approached Cerberus. His party a.s.sumed battle positions and watched how the situation unfolded.
Sniff, sniff.
The Cerberus sniffed at the air and then opened its eyes.
Grr!
It bared its teeth and growled at him. Sharp claws came out of its front paw.
Gulp.
Kang Oh swallowed, and gestured for it to stay down. "Who"s a good boy!"
At the same time, he quickly looked around.
Deborah stated that there"d be a guide waiting for him. However, he didn"t see anything besides the Cerberus.
"The Cerberus shouldn"t be the guide."
Kuhang!
The Cerberus lunged at Kang Oh with its giant body.
He wasn"t sure what to do. After all, he couldn"t hurt Deborah"s favorite pet, now could he?
Kang Oh quickly pulled out Blood and Sarahoff, and then used Devil Trigger.
Bam!
The Cerberus stomped on the ground where Kang Oh stood with its giant paw. However, Kang Oh managed to dodge it by flying into the air.
"Stay away!" Kang Oh yelled to his comrades.
If they got involved, then the situation might become worse.
The Cerberus lunged with its three heads one after another, and tried to bite Kang Oh.
However, none of them managed to hit him.
He was pretty good at dodging.
"Where the h.e.l.l"s the guide!?"
Kang Oh desperately looked for the guide.
Then...
The giant door opened slightly, and a kind-looking old man came out.
"Oh dear, it looks like I came a little late." The old man looked a bit embarra.s.sed, and then released enormous pressure.
Kang Oh opened his eyes wide. His skin tingled. Only someone of Valan"s level could release this kind of pressure.
Kueong?
The Cerberus was confused and looked back.
It smelled the old man and then started to wag its tail!
Once the old man approached it, the Cerberus pushed its head forward.
"It"s ok, it"s ok. They"ve been given permission to enter." The old man rubbed the dog"s giant chin.
Purr.
The Cerberus purred and stepped back.
"Come over here." The old man waved.
Kang Oh and his party approached the old man.
"He looks familiar."
Kang Oh had seen the man"s face before. "Where have I seen it?"
Shake!
Then, Blood violently shook. At the same time, he heard Tasha yell in his mind.
"Grande!"
A light bulb went off in his head. "That"s right!"
"Loxia!"
The knight who sealed away the Great Forest"s Demon, creating Demon Sword Blood!
Grande Loxia!
He was the first head of the Loxia family, and was a great man that served as a model for all knights!
When Kang Oh had first obtained Demon Sword Blood, he had spoken with Grande"s vestigial thoughts. That"s why he looked so familiar.
He could understand Tasha"s reaction too. After all, Grande was the first person to treat her with kindness and protect her till the very end.
"Tasha?" Grande Loxia looked at Demon Sword Blood in astonishment.
Kang Oh"s companions looked dumbfounded. "What"s going on?"
Grande Loxia got a hold of himself, smiled, and then said, "Follow me. We can talk when we get inside."
"Yes," Kang Oh replied.
Loxia went through the slightly open door. Kang Oh and his party followed behind him.
Thud.
Once Nile pa.s.sed through, the door closed shut.
Yawn.
The Cerberus"s three heads yawned, and then it went back to sleep.
Snore. Snore. Snore.