Fire Mage-Chapter 673: Evil Goddess
Chapter 673: Evil Goddess
"W-What was that?" Even Commander Erwin couldn’t keep his composure; panic flickered in his eyes. The wicked power that had surged just moments ago was so overwhelming it nearly corrupted his thoughts.
His companions mirrored his fear, their faces drained of color, eyes wide with terror.
The elvish man standing nearby also fixed his gaze toward the source of the sinister energy, his expression hardening.
"Damn it! That’s the power of a Demon Lord! There’s such a being sealed within this layer?" Anxiety and disbelief flickered across his face.
"But who in their right mind would release something like that? I need to handle it before it fully recovers." Speaking in his native tongue, he narrowed his eyes at the few human intruders nearby.
"I don’t know how you got here, but I’m not in the mood for games. Before I lose my temper, get out of my sight." As he spoke, a brutal power—strong enough to crush their bodies—rose in the cavern, making everyone shudder.
But when Commander Erwin and the others glanced toward the portal, it had vanished.
Only then did the Elvish man’s eyes flicker to the black spear embedded deep in the cavern wall, his face draining of color.
"D-Did you break the Core already?" The core was the key to this isolated dimension—a gateway to the outer world.
Because of that core, the Elvish man could leave this sealed domain and enter the Fourth Dimension at will.
Without it, entering or escaping this place was nearly impossible.
"But how did you even get here in the first place?" His gaze locked onto the humans, stunned. Then he turned toward the outside world.
"The Fourth Layer... it’s doomed." That was all he could say.
Hidden Chamber, Temple of Death, Fortress of Soul Graves
Outside the temple, Magical Beasts gathered silently as the flame chains sealing the black coffin disintegrated into pure energy, vanishing without a trace.
The heavy lid creaked open and slid onto the cold floor.
From within the coffin, a blackish humanoid figure stirred, letting out a dry, rattling cough.
Slowly, it rose to its feet and stepped out.
As it moved, the figure’s form twisted and reshaped into that of a woman.
Long, lustrous black hair cascaded down her back, crimson eyes burned fiercely beneath pale skin, and two eerie black horns curved from her forehead. A jet-black tail flicked behind her, and her lithe, seductive form radiated a power that could tame even Legendary beings.
As she took on her humanoid shape, strange black liquids gathered, swirling into a flowing jet-black dress.
A cold, eerie chuckle echoed as she inhaled deeply, lifting her gaze toward the ceiling before raising a hand.
"Even after eons, there are always insects bold enough to stand in my way," she said, her voice sharp and chilling.
She snapped her fingers.
From her fingertips, a wicked black energy erupted, shooting toward the cavern ceiling.
Instantly, Charles and the Legendary Creatures felt an unbearable surge of chaotic energy. Panic swept through them as they scrambled to retreat.
The force was so immense the surrounding space fractured in several places.
Then, an incredible spectacle unfolded.
A towering pillar of black light engulfed the temple, shooting straight up into the sky and sending ripples of power cascading outward.
Everyone in the Fourth Layer was gripped by a wave of dread and despair.
Even the Legendary Unicorn, Dragon, and five other creatures stood frozen, completely submissive.
Charles watched, heart pounding, as a massive spatial rift tore open where the pillar of light had crashed.
From the pit, a beautiful black-haired figure ascended, floating a hundred meters above the ground.
She calmly surveyed the thousands of legendary beasts before her, stepping forward in midair.
In a blink, she vanished—then reappeared before the proud Golden Griffin.
Without warning, she flicked her hand at its forehead.
The Griffin’s head exploded with a sickening bang, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere.
But that was only the beginning.
Before the other Magical Beasts could react or flee, the woman conjured a black scythe out of thin air and swung it at the Minotaur to her left.
A sharp, invisible force sliced from the scythe, cleaving the Minotaur in two.
Yet before she could strike again, the Unicorn stepped forward, shrouding the area in a thick white fog.
Time seemed to rewind.
The Griffin’s shattered head and body, along with the severed Minotaur, slowly reassembled—whole and untouched.
"Please cease your actions, Evil Goddess Vespera," a child’s voice echoed from the Unicorn, spreading through the mist. "We will not stand in your way. Calm your anger and leave."
Though the Unicorn spoke in the ancient Abyssal Language, Charles understood every word.
Vespera paused, her scythe lowering as she fixed a sharp gaze on the Unicorn, a playful grin curling her lips.
"Oh? Aren’t you the cute little pet of ******? Hmm? I can’t even pronounce her name."
Her playful smile vanished, replaced by a fierce scowl.
"Humph. I hate taking orders from a beast. A beast should be licking my feet, begging for mercy—not talking back."
With a wave of her scythe, she attacked the Minotaur once more.
This time, the Minotaur’s bloodline spell activated, encasing its body in a crystalline layer of ice.
But it was no shield.
In the next instant, the Minotaur shattered into countless icy shards that scattered like raindrops.
Vespera vanished from sight—then reappeared behind the Medusa.
Before the serpent-bodied girl could react, the world spun wildly around her.
Vespera streaked through the battlefield like shadowed lightning, slashing and slicing.
Everywhere she moved, more than a dozen Legendary Magical Beasts’ heads and bodies exploded in gruesome bursts.
The massacre had begun at the Temple of Souls.
Within fifteen minutes, most of the Magical Beasts in the Ruined Town were slaughtered.
Only the Griffon, Unicorn, and a few others remained frozen at the entrance, trembling.
Charles watched the carnage unfold, his heart heavy.
Vespera, freed from the black coffin, was an unstoppable force of cruelty. Her power tore through defenses effortlessly, her black scythe dismantling bodies like they were fragile toys.
The surviving Legendary Beasts stood helpless, witnessing their kin’s destruction.
Despair hung thick in the air.
A sudden whisper broke the silence.
"P-Please help us, savior from the Human World."
The white Unicorn turned its head sharply toward Charles’s hiding place and bowed its head in a plea.
Vespera noticed the gesture and chuckled darkly, her eyes locking on the space Charles occupied.
"Unfortunately, even he is no match for me."
Though her gaze lasted only a moment, Charles felt like a massive python was coiling around him, ready to strike.
She must be as powerful as a True God... or the Avatar of Udnir. If I leave the Astral Realm, I’m dead.
While Charles wrestled with his next move, Vespera resumed her slaughter of the remaining Magical Beasts.
Only the Unicorn withstood her assault for over thirty seconds before its head was cleaved off by the black scythe.
Vespera stood amid the corpses, bathing in the blood.
When the Unicorn fell, she slowly turned toward Charles, a smirk curling on her lips.
From nowhere, she produced a unique black orb and tossed it into the sky.
Suddenly, a fierce suction force erupted, pulling every nearby soul from the Astral Realm.
Charles felt the invisible pull wrenching at him but steadied himself with his ’Demi-God’ Rank Soul.
Within seconds, all the Magical Beasts’ souls were sucked into the orb and sealed inside.
The black sphere drifted down and settled into Vespera’s palm.
"Not enough to summon the ’Will of Abyss’ and claim my reward."
After storing the orb in her dimension, she fixed her gaze on Charles once more.
"We will meet again someday."
With that, she rose into the sky and sped toward the Human Settlement at an incredible pace.
Charles lingered for a few moments before stepping out of the Astral Realm.
"What a terrifying monster," he muttered, shifting back into his human form. "I can barely stand against a single King Magical Beast, but she tore through them like they were nothing. Vespera, huh? I’ll look into her history when I get back to Edhen World."
Ahead, where the temple once stood, a vast pit yawned.
Without hesitation, Charles leapt into the chasm and soon landed in the Chamber of Dead.
After a quick glance, Charles spotted the opened black coffin lying a few meters away. He walked toward it.
"I finally have this coffin... But did I make the right choice releasing such an evil being?" He furrowed his brow, then shook his head.
"While she wreaks havoc here, I’ll reap all the benefits and reach the next floor faster."
He swiftly touched the black coffin and scanned it. A moment later, a stream of information appeared before his eyes.
...
[Name: Eternal Coffin
Rank: Unknown
Description: The Eternal Coffin is one of seventeen cursed artifacts created by the Goddess of Death ******** to seal away the Supreme Demon *******’s Minions. Forgotten over the passage of Time.
Abilities:
Eternal Seal: Creates an unbreakable seal transcending time and space, imprisoning even the strongest entities in timeless confinement.Abyssal Suppression: Emits an otherworldly aura that suppresses the chaotic energies of the sealed, preventing escape or influence on the mortal realm.Cosmic Blackout: Activates a cosmic blackout, rendering itself invisible and undetectable by any means, ensuring the imprisoned being’s absolute secrecy.]
...
’Wow... Isn’t this almost like the ones Azoth mentioned?’
Charles quickly stored the Eternal Coffin and exited the chamber.
Outside, thousands of corpses sprawled across the ground.
"Bloodline Essences... I drink!" Grace’s voice echoed suddenly in his mind.
"So, you drink bloodline essences, huh?" Charles murmured, unsheathing his sword as he approached a nearby corpse.
He released his wisdom power, causing the corpse to levitate. Aiming at its chest, he cloaked his sword in an Intermediate Sword aura and made a deep slash.
