Chapter 141: Advent of the Great Evil (1)

“You’ve finally arrived, damned pests.” The leader of the dark mages greeted Ketal and Rakuza with contempt. Previously, whenever facing Ketal, the mage had always shown anger and frustration, but now, all traces of those emotions had vanished, as though they had merely been a façade. “So, it seems that the Saintess who read the scripture managed to locate this place for you,” the dark mage continued. “Ugh...” Rakuza groaned. Before them stood a large altar, from which dense and sinister dark energy continuously flowed. The energy here wasn’t mere darkness—it was pure, undiluted evil. Although it didn’t physically obscure vision, the energy was so thick that it was difficult to clearly discern anything. The sheer density of dark energy was suffocating enough to make one doubt whether they were still on earth or had crossed into the Demon Realm. “You filthy servants of evil!” Rakuza drew his sword with intense fury. “How dare you corrupt our holy land?! To defile it with such evil is unforgivable!” “Hahaha! How amusing. This world belonged to us from the beginning,” the dark mage sneered mockingly at Rakuza. “Your deity stole it from our Great One and pretended it was their own. You foolishly express anger without even knowing the true history.” “Do not speak nonsense to me!” “There’s no need to waste words on a heretic,” the dark mage said. “You seem awfully confident,” Ketal remarked calmly. From the mage’s perspective, their hidden ritual had been uncovered, and enemies were now at their doorstep—yet the dark mage showed not a shred of panic. “It doesn’t matter. Everything is already prepared,” the mage smirked. “I will commend you for finding this place, but it’s too late now.” As soon as he finished speaking, darkness exploded from the altar. A pillar of darkness surged upward, tearing through the ceiling toward the surface above. Instantly, the dark barrier surrounding the plains intensified, and the very laws that governed the land began reversing. Rakuza’s eyes widened in shock. “You bastard!” “This land will return to its rightful master! It shall become the sacred land of our Great One—the first foothold of his grand return!” The mage’s voice trembled with fanatical excitement.” “I won’t let that happen!” Rakuza shouted. The ritual had just started; destroying the altar now could still stop it. Determined, Rakuza channeled his divine power into his sword. Ketal tightened his grip on his axe. “It does seem entertaining, but I’m not interested in just standing by.” As Ketal and Rakuza prepared their assault, the mage’s face twisted in irritation. “Fine, I will admit it. If you both attack, I cannot hold you off.” The mage’s strength was roughly equal to Rakuza’s, and facing Ketal alongside him was impossible. Yet, the mage showed no fear or anxiety. “But that’s irrelevant, since preparations for this exact scenario were also made.” The dark mage smiled maliciously. “Don’t you find it strange? We’ve spent years preparing to devour your holy land, yet we’ve attacked with such limited forces?” He echoed exactly what Ketal had previously pointed out to Rakuza, now causing a chill to run down the knight’s spine. “Haven’t you wondered why I’m the only one here?” the dark mage asked. Rakuza’s face stiffened instantly. This altar was crucial for their reversal ritual. The dark mages should have guarded it fiercely, yet only their leader stood here. Just as Rakuza grasped this unsettling fact, a massive burst of darkness erupted on the surface above. The energy was immensely powerful and vile, slowly materializing into a monstrous form. Rakuza went pale at the realization. An unspeakable evil, forbidden from entering this world, was descending onto the holy land. “The summoning of a demon...!” Rakuza gasped in horror. And this was no ordinary demon. The dark energy was so powerful that even Ketal, who lacked Myst perception, could sense its magnitude. This was clearly a named demon—a high-ranking one at that. “This is madness!” Rakuza cursed in shock, causing the dark mage to burst into maniacal laughter. “A great being now descends! It will incinerate and crush every blasphemous being occupying the holy land destined to become the cornerstone for the return of our master!” This was the prophecy the dark mages had received—the revelation granted by their lord from Hell itself. “You will crumble and leave nothing behind!” the mage roared gleefully. “Th-this...!” Rakuza’s mind reeled. Creating an evil sanctuary was one thing, but summoning a demon directly into the world was entirely unexpected. He felt utterly unprepared for such a scenario. The dark mage sneered mockingly at Rakuza’s confusion. “A holy knight who can’t even read his scripture is nothing. You’re nothing but an insignificant insect washed away by the tides. But you...” The dark mage’s eyes narrowed on Ketal. “You’re a nuisance. Damned barbarian—why did you have to interfere?” “You flatter me.” Ketal calmly smiled, entirely unfazed by the chaos around him. “It’s my role to stop you! O Great One, hear my prayer! I sacrifice myself! Bind this enemy in your name!” The dark mage completed his desperate prayer. Instantly, his life energy drained away, forming a cage of dark energy around Ketal. “Oh, my.” Ketal’s eyes shone with interest. “K-Ketal!” Rakuza quickly swung his holy sword at the cage, but it didn’t even leave a scratch. “How can this be?!” “Make your choice, dog of your god! You can either halt the ritual or watch your companions die!” Rakuza’s mind was thrown into chaos. Ketal was trapped, neutralized by the powerful prison. Although the mage himself was completely drained from creating this cage, even with no further interference, stopping the ritual wouldn't be easy. To break through the dense, sinister magic and destroy the altar, Rakuza would have to expend every ounce of his strength. But if he did so, he'd have nothing left to confront the powerful demon now descending upon the surface. Every believer above would inevitably perish. Unable to decide, Rakuza hesitated desperately until Ketal spoke up. “Go above ground. Protect your fellow believers.” “B-but—” “Leave this place to me. Face the demon without worry.” “Understood... Forgive me, Ketal,” Rakuza whispered bitterly, biting his lip before turning away and rushing toward the surface. Now, only the imprisoned Ketal and the dying dark mage remained by the altar. “We’ve won, barbarian,” the mage rasped weakly, lying helplessly on the ground. “You can never escape that cage.” The cage imprisoning Ketal was crafted from the mage’s own life and soul. It was strengthened by the ultimate sacrifice of a Transcendent dark mage. It was immensely powerful and nearly indestructible. Even someone capable of wielding a holy scripture would struggle greatly to break it. It was completely impossible for a barbarian who relied solely on brute strength. The mage’s life would soon fade away—and until that moment arrived, Ketal would remain trapped inside. “I see.” Ketal lowered his head quietly. This barbarian is finally despairing! the mage thought triumphantly, certain of victory. “You will die helplessly here!” the mage declared. “The great demon will slaughter your comrades, corrupt this holy land, and pave the way for even greater beings to descend!” True, the holy knights were strong. The Saintess herself was powerful. However, they stood no chance against this newly summoned named demon. The destruction of the Kalosia’s order was now certain. “Then, once you’re alone, the great beings will tear you apart and devour your soul!” The mage shook with excitement. “O Great Demon King! I’ve bound your enemy as you commanded! Take my soul, and grant me the honor of serving you eternally in a higher realm!” Even as death approached, the dark mage felt no regret—only joy, certain he’d be richly rewarded after aiding in such a grand plan. “You seem awfully obsessed with me,” Ketal remarked casually. “Do you really hate me that much?” “You thought you’d interfere with our plan and survive? Die now, regretting your foolishness!” “I understand now.” Ketal calmly nodded. “Meaningful conversation with you is just impossible. What a shame.” “Wait...” The mage paused suddenly, staring at Ketal with confusion. “Why are you... smiling?” Ketal was imprisoned. A powerful demon had been summoned, and his companions faced imminent death. Yet, Ketal’s face showed nothing but amusement. “I’ve been holding it back because I thought smiling openly would seem inappropriate,” Ketal answered pleasantly. “Holding back laughter is surprisingly exhausting.” “L-laughter? Have you gone insane?!” “How can I not find this amusing?” Ketal spoke cheerfully. A group of dark mages attempting to convert a holy land into an evil one, summoning a demon to burn everything to ashes—such a scenario naturally brought a smile to Ketal’s face. “You—!” Only then did the mage finally realize the man before him held entirely different values from his own. “Still, amusing or not, I have no intention of standing by. Lives shouldn’t end pointlessly.” Ketal raised his axe calmly, preparing to strike at the cage. Seeing this, the mage quickly regained his composure. That’s right, the mage thought, reassuring himself. Even if this barbarian has strange values, he’s still trapped. He can’t influence anything outside the cage, a cage even holy scripture cannot easily destroy! Confident in his thoughts, the mage watched calmly—until Ketal’s axe slammed into the prison wall. Crack! The mage’s eyes widened in disbelief. A clear, unmistakable crack appeared on the cage from just that single strike. “Wh-what?” the mage stammered, dumbfounded. The cage created from his own life and soul had begun to fracture from merely one blow. “S-stop it!” The mage gasped desperately. “It’s certainly sturdy,” Ketal said, observing the cage calmly. “This might take a bit more time.” He casually raised his axe once again, bringing it crashing down against the cage, driving it deeper into the cracked surface. *** Outside the sanctuary, the holy knights stood guard along the perimeter, stifling yawns and glancing around in boredom. Despite Rakuza’s explicit orders to remain vigilant, none of the knights seemed particularly tense or worried. They had successfully repelled every attack so far, even the recent massive wave of monsters. Now, the once-threatening plains were quiet, and the monsters had entirely disappeared. As far as the knights were concerned, the battle had already been won. Of course, they obediently followed their orders, but most privately thought Rakuza was overly cautious, worrying unnecessarily over nonexistent threats. Thus, their guard duty passed in dull monotony, the only challenge being staying awake. However, that boredom was shattered in an instant. Suddenly, the darkness enveloping the plains grew much thicker, deeper than ever before. It surged upward, like an eruption of pure evil—clear evidence that the hidden altar below had activated. “What the...?” “What’s happening?” The knights looked around nervously, confusion clearly etched on their faces. Before they could fully comprehend the situation, several dark figures emerged from the shadows at the edge of the holy land. It was a formidable group of dark mages—led by a Transcendent mage and supported by multiple Advanced followers. This was the true strength of the enemy force, which had stayed hidden during all previous attacks. “Everyone! Prepare for battle!” shouted one of the knights, panic edging into his voice as he quickly alerted his comrades. Immediately, the holy knights scrambled into a defensive position, hastily drawing swords and readying shields. Yet, strangely, the dark mages made no aggressive move toward the knights. Instead, they silently gathered at a single spot, forming a tight circle, and slowly began chanting in unison. “O Great One.” “Lord who descends upon this world.” “Mighty ruler of Hell.” “Great adversary of the gods.” It was clearly a ritualistic prayer—one dedicated directly to their Demon King. Their voices echoed solemnly, filled with reverence, devotion, and dark determination as they called upon their master. “Please, we beg you.” “Accept our flesh and souls as your offering.” “Consume us to open the way for your faithful servant upon this earth.” As their eerie chant reached its peak, something horrific occurred. Without hesitation, all of the dark mages simultaneously collapsed, their bodies crushed as if by an invisible force. Their sudden mass suicide left the knights staring wide-eyed in shock, momentarily paralyzed by confusion and horror. Yet, even in death, the dark mages had fulfilled their purpose. A sinister darkness began leaking from their mangled remains, seeping out and pooling into a dense, swirling mass of evil energy. It pulsed menacingly, spreading across the ground like a living shadow, thick enough to choke those who approached. With a dreadful crack, the gathered darkness split the very fabric of space, tearing open a dark fissure that hovered ominously in midair. From within the dark chasm beyond the rift, a single, grotesque hand slowly emerged.