Mystery of Otherworldly Waves: Blood Moon [Volume 1] [END]

Chapter 15: Ancient History Buried Underground

...Chapter 15: Ancient History Buried Underground...

...[.The Ancient History Buried Under the Ground]...

...•...

Previously, Satoruu and his colleagues found an underground city. Their collective gazes were fixed on an incredible sight—an underground city. It appears to be abandoned, with houses partially submerged in the ground or in various stages of damage.

The city was emitting a grim aura, with no signs of life. Except for the flickering light coming from the central cave, the city was immersed in darkness. The weeds had wrapped themselves around the cave entrance, creeping towards the neighboring houses.

This unexpected discovery gave them goosebumps. They had no inkling that there was an underground city, although its destruction spoke volumes.

They are aware that this world holds deep secrets, such as the mysterious existence of these 14 Lords of the Hereafter and this hidden underground city. Countless historical truths are buried, hidden in the shadows of the dark side of this world.

Suddenly, Claire's head felt pain as if something was going on inside her head. As Claire's head throbbed in pain, she instinctively held onto her temple, one of her eyes partially closed due to discomfort.

Sensing her distress, Saishira approached her with little attention. "Are you okay? Is your head feeling dizzy?"

Taking a moment to calm down, Claire replied in a weak voice, "I'm fine. Something ... something just popped into my mind."

Gradually, the pain in Claire's head subsided, making her speak more clearly. "This place ... is called Voidical Town. When I was still affiliated with the demon party, my family shared stories about this town."

His voice trembled as he continued, "But when I betrayed my own race to take revenge for what they did to Daniel, my first human friend, it seemed like certain memories were partially erased. But now, it looks like those memories are coming back, and I'm starting to remember this town."

Eager to explore the Voidical city, Saishira's sharp eyes caught a foothold on the lower right side near the door. Utilizing his mastery of darkness magic, he stuck his dark sword into the wall below the doorway, making a temporary move. With one firm foothold and a leap, he managed to descend to the ground below.

Realizing Saishira's plan, Satoruu provides assistance by inserting his steel sword into the wall as an additional foothold, ensuring they descend safely. One by one, they followed, landing on the ground unscathed.

Satoruu took back his steel sword, while Saishira easily removed his dark sword, resurrecting it in his grasp. This demonstration flaunted Saishira's profound command of dark magic, making maximum use of it.

They proceeded to cross the bridge that hung above the city. Constructed of sturdy iron, the bridge defies its age, supporting the group's weight as they walk in close proximity. Although the fence looked rusty, it was still uncertain whether the fence would gradually surrender or hold on firmly.

As they cross the bridge, Claire shares newly discovered information. He uncovers the existence of monstrous creatures, who are categorized as a demon race known as ghouls. Resembling humans, these monstrous creatures are notorious for devouring creatures other than undead.

It is believed that the ghouls had emerged and destroyed the city, leading to the abandonment of the city. However, it seemed that the ghouls had long since left, leaving the deserted city with no signs of life.

Like in a cave room, a podium stood in the middle of a desolate city. Intrigued by the potential of its contents, Satoruu extended his hand towards the book that was on it. The title, "14 Lords of the Afterlife", reflects the words spoken by Alarick. Opening the book, a small piece of paper fell down, inscribed with a warning, "Consider! The Ghoul is probably watching you!"

Undaunted, Satoruu opened the first page, ready to investigate his secret. However, before he could even read a single line, a swarm of ghouls appeared in front of them, sending them off guard.

Rayvin sighed, giving a wry comment. "Well, that seems right."

Viona, who was overwhelmed with shock, found it hard to understand how the ghouls arrived so quickly, seemingly in response to Satoruu's actions of simply taking the book off the podium.

Ryan, the valiant Royal Knight, quickly took over, unsheathed his sword and pointed his words towards Satoruu. "Read on! We'll handle them."

With determination in his voice, Satoruu continued reading aloud, words flowing from the pages as his comrades engaged in a fierce battle against the intruding ghouls.

"The world is divided into two opposing forces, light and darkness. Beyond the realm of life lies the afterlife, which consists of heaven and hell. 14 The enigmatic ruler of the Hereafter, the former ruler of this world, has left history shrouded in mystery, known to few."

As the battle rages on, Ryan manages to interrupt in the midst of the chaos. "That's .. as Alarick explains," he said, parrying the tireless ghouls.

Satoruu, who was still recovering from his shock, nodded in agreement. "Yes, weird can be found here, right? WHOA!!"

His sentence was suddenly interrupted as he dodged the attacking ghoul.

Saishira, quick to react, suggests swapping positions with Satoruu and throwing the book at him. After throwing the book, Satoruu quickly brandished his sword and joined the fray.

With the page still open, Saishira continued reading out loud. "14 The Lords of the Hereafter are divided into two factions: Seven Lords of Heaven and Seven Lords of Hell. Each Ruler had their own friends, or what could be called their pets."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Saishira throws the book at Yuka, who graciously catches it and starts reading. "The ancient legend of the 14 Lords of the Hereafter is true. More information about them can be found in the ancient building located to the south of this abandoned city."

"Yet you must first solve the puzzle to gain access. Beware of ghouls; they can be conquered once you enter that ancient building."

With urgency in their steps, they dashed towards the ancient building, skillfully fending off the unrelenting ghoul attacks. Yuka and Shelina took the lead, harnessing their magical prowess to forge a path, while the rest of the group formed a protective barrier around them.

The fast Ghoul broke away from his herd, quickly approaching Yuka. Reacting quickly, Satoruu unleashes his soul fire magic, intercepting the movements of the ghouls and protecting Yuka from danger.

The enraged Ghoul immediately shifted its focus to Satoruu, driven by vengeance. However, Saishira intervenes, raising a thorn of darkness underground that quickly ends the ghoul's threat.

With each step towards the ancient building, the hordes of ghouls chased after them nonstop. Satoruu took action, inserting his sword with soul fire magic to thin out their ranks.

A brilliant blue flame enveloped his sword as Satoruu turned around, performing a slashing attack that ignited many ghouls behind him.

Finally, they reached the towering structure, their protection from the attacks of the ghouls. Claire, in a power show, channeled lightning magic into her scythe, causing streams of lightning to dance along her sword.

With a loud bang, he sent a bolt of lightning to the ground, striking the ghouls in their path. The group paused for a moment, adjusting their breaths and exchanging looks of relief after their fierce battle on the way to the ancient building.

Turning their attention back to the structure, they saw the dilapidated ruins adorned with collapsed pillars. Stepping carefully onto the worn-out floor, they scanned their surroundings.

The atmosphere brings an atmosphere of mystery, yet offers a strange sense of comfort. A dim light seeped through the small hole inside the cave, emitting a soft glow on top of the protruding rock located in the heart of the ancient building.

The stone had an intricate inscription, a foreign inscription in their eyes that had been used by the inhabitants of this world centuries ago. Claire, who had always been knowledgeable, shared her insights. "This is an ancient script known as the Lathenia script."

The Lathenian script, a precursor to the English language that is now widely spoken. The font style bears a resemblance to the Latin alphabet of the original world of Satoruu, which has become an international language in its world. However, pronunciation and vocabulary are different, although they retain a resemblance to English commonly used in both worlds.

Eagerly, Satoruu turned his head towards Claire, his eyes filled with anticipation, and asked if he could decipher the characters written on the stone.

Under the main inscription, a row of fading words gradually began to be seen, though it could still be read. They reveal a truncated message: "14 extraordinary living beings. They are divided into .. and they are …. Until finally God brought them to the afterlife according to .. they were in the world." That part was marred by time travel, resulting in the loss of many words.

However, under the description, the stone displays numbers from 1 to 7 on both the right and left sides, totaling 14. As their gaze turned to the left of the stone, a new stone appeared, emerging from the ground without any obvious disturbance. Engraved on this stone is a definition relating to one of the 14 Lords of the Hereafter.

The inscription reads, "This soul harbors hatred for the achievements of others and is dissatisfied with itself."

Satoruu furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He placed a hand on his chin, contemplating the riddle in front of him. A moment later, a spark of awareness lit up his eyes.

He confidently replied, "Envy."

It recognizes the close relationship between the definition and the word.

In an instant, the left wall of the ancient building began to shift and open. Just as it revealed a hidden space, a large statue of a woman accompanied by a phoenix was beginning to be seen.

Below them, engraved on a plaque, are the names Inviria and Oscuro Phoenix, apparently their identities. Finally, the group understood that the puzzle they had to solve revolved around the names of the 14 Lords of the Hereafter.

With Envy's puzzle successfully solved, the core stone of the ancient building now features the word "Envy" in rank 3 on the left side, confirming their progress.

The puzzle continued, and the stone presented the sentence, "The desire to overeat is always residing in this soul."

Saishira, confident in her answer, quickly replied, "Gluttony."

As if agreeing, the left wall opened once again, revealing a statue of a man standing beside a boar. Listed below them are the names Gabria and Salvai Boar. Stage 4 is now open. They realized that the left side of the ancient building symbolized the Sovereign of Hell, while the right side symbolized the Sovereign of Heaven.

Next, a riddle appeared irregularly, presenting the phrase, "A soul filled with a strong sense of revenge and attacked blindly." Those words sounded familiar within Satoruu, as if it was related to the magic that once controlled it.

Doubtful yet resolute, Satoruu cautiously replied, "Wrath?"

In response, the left wall opened for the third time, revealing the face of a woman accompanied by a terrifying dragon. The names of Viria and Demonic Dragon adorn the inscription below. It becomes clear that Satoruu is now recognized as Viria's new companion, the embodiment of Wrath, as he has defeated the Demonic Dragon. In keeping with Alarick's words, Wrath held the position of the strongest, first among all the Sovereigns of Hell.

They continue the puzzle, determined to solve the remaining Sovereigns of Hell.

Statues of the Seven Lords of Hell, namely Wrath, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Pride, Lust, and Sloth, are arranged in rows to the left of the ancient building. The rank and accompanying creatures are as follows:

Rank 1 belonged to the personification of Wrath, Viria, accompanied by the Demonic Dragon, the dragon that Satoruu had once defeated.

Rank 2 features a man named Avarthea and his partner, Greedy Draconess, who holds the embodiment of Greed. However, Greedy Draconess' position is now taken over by Kaminou, as he emerges victorious in his fight against the Greedy Draconess.

Rank 3, as correctly answered by the group, belongs to Inviria and Oscuro Phoenix, representing Envy.

Rank 4 is claimed by Gabria and Salvai Boar as the embodiment of Gluttony.

Rank 5 features the personification of Pride, a woman named Sapheria, accompanied by Riese Goblin.

Rank 6 consists of Loshora, a man, and Riesig Minotaur, the embodiment of Lust.

Lastly, rank 7 was occupied by men named Ashevia and Kyodai Cycloph, the personification of Sloth.

Each of their companions, or often referred to as their pets, has unique magical abilities. However, no further information was available at the moment, other than the knowledge of Demonical Darkness, which came from the Demonic Dragon, and Gieredy Darkness, which came from the Greedy Draconess.

Continuing their progress, they managed to solve the riddle of the Heaven Ruler without making a single mistake.

Similar to the Sovereigns of Hell, the Seven Lords of Heaven—Patience, Charity, Kindness, Temperance, Humility, Chastity, and Diligence— statues are displayed on the right side of the ancient building. The rank and accompanying creatures are as follows:

Rank 1 is occupied by the personification of Patience, Pharievia, a woman, along with Angelic Sylph, a spirit who has now been replaced by Yuka.

Rank 2 featured a man named Charias and his partner, Charisy Sylphie, the embodiment of Charity.

Rank 3 consists of Hekarias, a man, and Luz Phoenix, representing Kindness.

Rank 4, the personification of Temperance, is claimed by Thimiralia, a woman, and Kinshui Pegasus.

Rank 5 featured the personification of Humility, a woman named Himelias, accompanied by Kinkyo Unicorn.

Rank 6 is associated with Chasifias, a man, and Aire Dove, the embodiment of Chastity.

Lastly, the 7th rank belongs to Dealifinia, a woman, and Aria Pigeon, symbolizes Diligence.

These Heaven Sovereigns served as resistance from the Sovereigns of Hell, and of course, their pets had their own magic abilities. However, right now, only one such magic ability was known to the—Angelical Light, the magic given to Yuka through the Angelic Sylph residing within her.

When all the puzzles have been solved, the stone that serves as the heart of the ancient building emits a black-and-white flare upwards, swirling in the air. The moment the black-and-white flare appeared, the atmosphere of the ancient building changed. Waves of darkness and light rippled on the floor, awakening a sense of awe within the Seven Saviors group. The ghoul surrounded by this mystical phenomenon began to weaken and eventually perish.

The impact of the scene made the group goosebumps. Although only a statue, they felt that the presence of the 14 figures was much stronger than what anyone imagined, as if above the sky there was still sky.

How not, their pet magic alone, Demonical Darkness, could create an explosion that could not be denied how vast. Especially if it was the owner, the Sovereigns of Hell itself, it might just be able to destroy this one world.

Saishira, equipped with a small notebook, documents every detail they witness. After completing the examination of the statues and uncovering the identity of the Afterlife Ruler, the group fell into their deep thoughts.

The emergence of ghouls seems to be linked to the destruction of the kingdom of Harmodia, as underground caverns around the kingdom likely served as their breeding grounds. However, the cause of their sudden appearance in the kingdom remains a mystery.

While walking back to the Voidical city, looking for a path that would bring them back to the kingdom, the voices of the two men involved in the conversation reached their ears.

Confusion arose when they wondered what the two men were doing in this abandoned city. The question lingers in their minds, urging them to investigate the whereabouts of this unexpected stranger.

...~Connect~...