Chapter 116: The Underworld

In the dark crimson chamber, the stone walls appeared to sweat as streams of molten rock slowly dripped down their surfaces. The entire place was illuminated only by the enormous hollow opening above, through which an endless expanse of sky could be seen, its distant light barely reaching the depths of the chamber. Beneath that opening stood an individual with deep crimson scales and a pair of large antennae, silently overlooking everything that was happening within the realm at once.

"The Underworld..." Calean quietly muttered.

He stared across the enormous domain before continuing. "The place where the most evil individuals exist. Those who have gone beyond their nature... the most evil of the evil."

His gaze traveled across the endless rocky landscape, where rivers of lava flowed between massive platforms and towering cliffs. It was supposed to be a place of punishment, yet Calean quickly realized that simply watching over it would not be enough.

"But this system will collapse if it is managed only by me."

Before he could say anything else, the entire chamber suddenly grew dark.

For only a brief moment, the light disappeared completely, leaving Calean unable to see even his own hands. Then, just as quickly as it had vanished, the light returned, leaving the chamber exactly as it had been moments before.

Calean remained still. "...What was that?"

He looked around, trying to determine what had caused the strange disturbance. Yet before he could investigate further, several enormous figures suddenly appeared below him.

The creatures were gigantic, each one standing as tall as the largest trees within the elven forests.

The first creature was elongated, supported by four powerful limbs. Its body was covered in dark, rough flesh, while a long tongue occasionally slipped from its mouth before retracting again. Its head was shaped almost like a triangle, with a pair of glowing ember-like eyes staring silently into the distance.

Beside it stood a massive four-limbed beast covered in black fur. Its body resembled that of a mammal, but its enormous claws curved outward like blades, while its narrow pupils remained fixed upon Calean without the slightest movement.

The third creature was even stranger.

It possessed three heads, each one lined with large, jagged fangs. Thick ebony fur covered its enormous body, and the three heads moved independently as they observed the unfamiliar surroundings, though none of them made a sound.

Finally, the fourth creature resembled some enormous bird-like being, with wide wings covered in crimson feathers. Small flames continuously flickered between its feathers, making it appear as though the creature itself had been set ablaze without being harmed by the fire.

Calean stared at the four creatures. "...Where did these come from?"

He slowly descended from his position and approached them. None of the creatures attacked, nor did they even attempt to move away. They simply remained where they had appeared, patiently waiting.

Calean looked at them for several seconds before shrugging.

"Did the Entity summon them after what I said literally minutes ago?"

He looked toward the four creatures again. "So these creatures are intended to help me with this."

He walked closer to the group and casually raised his hand.

"Move."

All four creatures stepped aside at almost the exact same time.

Calean paused. "They really are."

He began experimenting with his new companions almost immediately. He tested their strength, their instincts, their abilities, and their reactions to different environments within the Underworld, slowly assigning each creature a purpose that suited its nature.

The first would patrol the deeper regions.

The black-furred beast would hunt those who attempted to escape.

The three-headed creature would oversee the areas where the strongest souls were sent.

And the burning creature would remain above the Underworld, watching over the enormous domain from the skies.

Calean eventually looked across his new realm and began considering how it could be used.

The Underworld shall be a place where the strong dominate.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

The greatest punishment for an individual is not simply pain. It is eternal loss.

If the souls within the Underworld were unable to truly die, then there was no reason for their punishment to end. They could fight each other endlessly, fall, recover, and fight again, repeating the process throughout eternity.

Calean wondered whether such endless conflict could eventually produce something useful.

Perhaps those who survived long enough would become stronger.

Perhaps the strongest souls could eventually become something capable of defending the world when the coming threat finally arrived.

After all, death did not truly exist within this place.

A defeated soul would eventually rise again, destroyed body would eventually return. And the battle could continue.

If they are forced to fight each other for eternity, perhaps they will eventually become strong enough to be useful.

Calean continued observing the Underworld, already imagining how much stronger its inhabitants could become after centuries of endless conflict.

Then something suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

A faint blue light appeared in the distance.

Calean turned toward it.

The light was growing brighter. It appeared directly in the center of a massive rocky platform surrounded by rivers of molten lava. The blue radiance reflected against the black stone, creating a sharp contrast against the crimson glow of the Underworld, while small fragments of rock around the platform slowly began floating into the air.

The lava surrounding the platform bubbled violently as the blue light expanded.

Calean narrowed his eyes. "What is that?"

The light intensified. For a moment, the entire platform was covered in blue radiance, and the surrounding flames seemed almost insignificant beneath it.

Then a silhouette began forming inside the light.

Two legs, two arms, and a head. A humanoid figure stood motionless within the strange blue light, its body hidden behind the fading glow. Calean’s antennae shifted slightly as he stared at the unfamiliar presence, unable to recognize what had suddenly appeared within the Underworld.

"...A human?"

The blue light slowly began fading, revealing more of the mysterious figure. Moments later, the glow disappeared completely, leaving the unknown humanoid standing alone upon the rocky platform.