Chapter 353.1. The False Epilogue

It was a room untouched by light. The walls and ceiling were like obsidian, emitting no light whatsoever. If there were a source of light, it would be absorbed, and not allowed to illuminate the room. It was a room filled with an ominous atmosphere that made one feel as if the air itself was foreboding.
A black haze spread throughout the entire room, making the back of the room appear vague and indistinct. 
Calling it a room might be odd because its depth was probably a kilometer. An endless expanse of inky darkness stretched out, and there was nothing but silence.
There was no design on the walls or ceiling, and it lacked any furniture. If one listened carefully, eerie and faint voices that conveyed pain, hatred, and resentment could be heard as if from nowhere, like background noise.
People would unanimously agree that this space was malevolent. Even if it were a historically significant old building, unanimous consent would be given to destroy it. It was such a room.
This room had engraved a history of several hundred years without anyone visiting.
However, light illuminated this place, which hadn’t seen visitors for centuries. A magic circle, drawn with glowing blue characters, appeared on the pristine floor.
The magic circle shone brightly, and in its center, a human figure materialized. The human figure, who had definitely not been there before, wore a robe and covered their face entirely with a hood.
The magic circle seemed to have fulfilled its purpose as it lost its light and faded away.
Without any surprise at the disappearance of the magic circle, the human figure that started walking emitted an aura. The cursed haze in the room seemed to move as if it had a will, attempting to envelop the human figure.
The cursed haze stole the vitality of fools who visited this room, turning them into the dead. It was a terrifying trap that melted even bones.
The polished floor and ceiling, resembling obsidian, were not made of obsidian but were polished and transformed into a jet-black material soaked in human blood. The room was a horrifying revelation of its true nature, crafted from the material of tens of thousands of deceased individuals.
The trap of death attacked the human figure, attempting to absorb their vitality. However, something strange happened. As soon as the haze touched the human figure. But they absorbed the haze.
Nevertheless, the haze continued to attack the human figure without concern. The expansive haze in the room wriggled like a slime, crawling toward the human figure with a slimy motion. Eventually, everything was absorbed and disappeared.
“Oh, this haze is considered magic, huh? Sorry, but I absorb dark attribute. My bad.”
The human figure spoke, offering an apology, but there was no genuine remorse. Shrugging their shoulders, they walked through the vanished darkness as if they could see everything.
Upon reaching the center of the room, the human figure extended their hand into the air. Strangely, various swords, spears, jewels, necklaces, and numerous items appeared from the air and scattered onto the ground. All emitted a divine light, carrying a powerful force that purified even this ominous room.
“Oops, failure, failure.”
The figure chuckled and, with a wry smile on their face, casually arranged the scattered items in a circular pattern. Despite their divine nature, the figure handled them roughly, like toys. After completing the preparations, they raised their hand into the air again.
And then, pulsating in the palm of that hand, a heart appeared. The eerie, pulsating heart had a creepy atmosphere, resembling a crystallized manifestation of malevolence, and evil.
However, the human figure paid no attention to this mass of evil and placed it at the center of the circle.
With a wave of their hand and eyes focused on the air, the human figure began chanting in a loud and clear voice.
“-Use- the heart of the God of Destruction, -Yes-, -Yes-, -Yes-.”
After the human figure completed the mysterious incantation, the entire room glowed crimson, illuminating the surroundings. A bizarre and ominous magic circle, resembling the arrangement of bones around the heart, appeared and started destroying numerous divine artifacts.
Mystical spears snapped, swords carrying divine light rusted, shining gems turned into stones, and a necklace emitting a gentle aura shattered. Each time an item lost its power, the heart pulsated vigorously, enhancing its aura of darkness. When all items got shattered, the ground trembled, and the heart floated up.
The floating heart transformed into a giant, reaching the size of a behemoth. Clad in obsidian armor, adorned with a finely designed toga, and equipped with four arms made of muscles so thick they seemed about to burst, each holding a sword or spear exuding a chilling aura.
The head, adorned with twisted sheep-like horns, had hair that resembled snakes, each strand a serpent. The face featured three vertically elongated, golden-eyed reptilian eyes. Mammoth-like tusks peeked out from the mouth, and the breath exhaled a mist-like miasma. On its back were ten bat-like wings, and its body was a colossal figure of ten meters.
The creature floating in the sky was evil, something that should not exist in this world.
The evil being, with its eyes moving sharply, addressed the human figure with a voice that felt disturbing, as if nails were scratching against the glass.
“Congratulations on reviving me. I, Ashtaroth, the Demon God born to destroy this world. Let us spread magic in this world and bring a magical night to all living beings.”
“Hehe, so Ashtaroth, have you fully resurrected? Not incomplete, huh?”
Leaning their hands on their hips and showing no sign of reverence toward Ashtaroth, the human figure asked. Despite Ashtaroth’s displeasure at the casual attitude, it reluctantly responded, acknowledging that the human figure had used all the Sacred Artifacts that had sealed it for the resurrection ritual.
“Yes. I’m completely revived. Mana fills this body, and the magic power is as potent as ever. I’m fully restored. It’s thanks to you for using all the Sacred Artifacts that sealed me for the resurrection ceremony. I’ll commend you for that.”