Chapter 9: Heaven Or Hell

Chapter Nine

This is too much treasure. If they could somehow excavate just one of these pillars... Forget becoming the richest guild in the continent, the Scourge Guild could become the richest guild in the entire world.

And yet, they were standing in a place where countless such pillars existed.

Aiden took a deep breath, then another, forcing himself to calm down.

We’ve hit the jackpot.

There was no other way to describe it.

"Listen up, everyone!" Aiden’s voice suddenly echoed through the palace. "We are sticking together and looking for treasures that we can actually carry with us."

He pointed toward the enormous Magic Crystal pillars. "The pillars can’t be carried for obvious reasons."

A few warriors nervously laughed.

"But don’t let your guard down, not even for a second," Aiden’s expression became serious, his eyes sweeping across the palace. "This much treasure... there must be a guardian of some sort."

The warriors nodded.

"Stay alert and take whatever treasures you are capable of carrying."

Cheers immediately erupted from the group. Their fear was temporarily forgotten, they rushed forward, and soon they realized the Magic Crystal pillars weren’t even the most shocking treasures inside this place.

Treasures were scattered everywhere: some rested upon golden platforms, others floated silently in the air, there were herbs that glowed with seven different colors with each leaf containing an energy so dense that simply standing near them caused their mana to surge, there were fruits that looked ordinary from the outside yet every warrior who approached them could feel an enormous amount of vitality radiating from within.

There were bottles containing liquid that shimmered like liquid stars, there were strange pieces of metal that seemed to absorb the light around them, there were weapons covered in ancient runes that none of them could understand, there were gemstones that pulsed like beating hearts, there were scrolls sealed with energy so powerful that nobody dared to touch them, and then there were objects that none of them could even identify.

One warrior picked up a tiny golden seed, and the moment he held it, the seed released a faint pulse, causing his entire body to suddenly tremble.

"My mana..." His eyes widened. "...it just increased!"

Another warrior discovered a transparent crystal that contained what appeared to be a miniature storm inside it, with lightning continuously moving within the crystal yet making no sound, and no one understood what it was.

Another warrior found a small bottle containing a single drop of silver liquid; he stared at it for several seconds, having no idea what it did, but his instincts screamed at him that the liquid was worth more than anything he had ever possessed.

The treasures were simply too numerous, too bizarre, too valuable, and most of them were things the warriors couldn’t even recognize, let alone understand.

Almost everything they found was sent directly into Rumen’s Item Vault, and the group was practically going mad with excitement. They had entered Dungeon X expecting death, yet now they were standing inside what seemed to be the greatest treasure vault in existence.

Michael, however, wasn’t celebrating; he stood slightly away from the others, staring at something in his hand... a glittering purple diamond.

He had no idea what it was, none whatsoever, but the moment he had picked it up, his strength had doubled. Michael stared at the purple diamond with a complicated expression.

Something that could double his physical strength merely by being held... was definitely not ordinary.

And treasures like this were simply lying everywhere.

Something isn’t right.

Michael’s eyes slowly narrowed. Yes, the intense feeling of danger he had been experiencing ever since entering Dungeon X had vanished without a trace the moment they entered this place, but instead of making him feel relieved, it made the wariness in his heart grow even stronger because something was wrong... very wrong.

Michael slowly raised his head, looked at the countless treasures, the endless Magic Crystal pillars, the heavenly palace, and the impossible galaxy-filled sky.

Everything was too perfect, too peaceful, too generous, almost as if this entire place had been prepared specifically for them.

Michael’s grip tightened around the purple diamond.

There has to be something wrong with this place.

He was certain of it.

And then his gaze slowly moved toward the endless galaxy above them. For some odd reason, he suddenly wondered whether that sky was really just a painting after all.

A few minutes later, the group finally came face-to-face with a throne that stood at the very center of this seemingly heavenly world, entirely made of flawless white marble with a surface smooth and pristine without even the slightest imperfection. At first, it was turned sideways, its back facing away from the group, but the moment they reached a certain distance from it, the throne began to move... slowly, silently, turning toward them.

And the moment it did, something changed: the peaceful atmosphere that had surrounded the group instantly vanished, and the sense of danger that had fled them the moment they entered this place suddenly returned. But this time, it was incomparably more terrifying, feeling not simply like being in danger, but like standing before something that could erase their very existence without needing to exert the slightest effort.

The warriors froze, their bodies instinctively trembled, their breathing became difficult, and then the throne finished turning, allowing the group to finally see what was sitting upon it.

A human.

A man was casually seated atop the white throne, wearing an elegant robe made from what appeared to be pure white silk whose fabric flowed naturally around his body, spotless and immaculate. Yet it wasn’t his clothing that made the warriors feel insignificant; it was the majesty radiating from his very existence.

Every fiber of his being seemed to embody supreme authority, a majesty so overwhelming that merely standing before him felt like an insult, as though their existence alone was something that should never have been allowed to approach him.

Long, dark hair cascaded down his back, perfectly smooth and seemingly untouched by the laws of nature. Several rings and ornaments adorned his body... not particularly extravagant, and in fact, compared to the treasures scattered throughout this heavenly palace, appearing rather moderate.

Yet each one gave off an indescribable feeling of superiority, as objects that didn’t just display wealth, but seemed to declare that the very concept of wealth was beneath their owner.

Aiden’s pupils trembled, and once again, he felt like nothing more than an ant... no, an ant was still too significant a comparison, for he felt like a speck of dust standing before an endless universe.

Such a strange being...

"Pah!"

A sharp sound suddenly echoed through the palace, and everyone’s gaze snapped toward Aiden, who had just slapped himself across the face... hard, extremely hard, with a force so great that blood immediately burst from the corner of his mouth.

The warriors stared at him in confusion, wondering why he had done that. Even Aiden didn’t know; perhaps somewhere deep within his instincts, the mere thought of referring to the being seated upon the throne as strange had felt like an unforgivable sin.

Perhaps some fundamental part of his mind had already understood that such a thought was blasphemy, and perhaps he had instinctively believed that death would be too merciful a punishment for such disrespect, deserving of something even more painful than death.

Aiden’s eyes widened in horror.

What am I thinking?

His heart pounded violently.

Something is influencing my mind.

No... that wasn’t enough to describe it, for it was as though something was interfering with his existence at the most fundamental level... his thoughts, his instincts, his perception, his very understanding of himself... with everything seeming to shift beneath the presence of this being.

Aiden desperately tried to speak, wanting to plead, wanting to beg for forgiveness, wanting to ask what this being was, but no sound escaped his mouth... nothing.

It was as if the very concept of speech had been erased from him; his lips moved, but there was no voice.

Then, the feeling of death descended upon him. Aiden’s entire body began trembling as he stared at the figure seated upon the throne, who hadn’t moved, hadn’t attacked, and hadn’t even lifted a hand, yet Aiden could feel death approaching closer and closer until his body began to disintegrate.

There was no explosion, no blood, no struggle; his flesh simply began breaking apart into countless tiny particles, with his arms disappearing first, then his chest, then his legs, until his entire body gradually turned into particles that fluttered through the air like dust caught by an invisible breeze.

Within moments, Aiden was gone, completely erased.

Silence descended upon the palace, and the expressions of every remaining warrior changed instantly. Aiden... their leader, the strongest among them, a Level 16 warrior... had just been erased from existence.

And the figure sitting upon the throne hadn’t even raised a hand, hadn’t moved an inch, and had simply sat there. Heck his eyes was still shut.