The air grew thick with tension as Leylin stood before the imposing black metal door, his hand steady as he turned the ornate key.
*Clang! Dong!*
The faint sound of gears grinding against one another reverberated through the stillness, a mechanical whisper that grew louder with each passing second. The noise swelled, filling the vast hall with the rhythmic clatter of ancient machinery coming to life, as though the very walls were awakening from a long slumber.
*Creak!*
A sharp, splintering sound followed as cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the black metal door. The fractures multiplied, and with a sudden burst, the door disintegrated into countless tiny fragments of dark metal, scattering to the sides like startled insects.
Beyond the threshold, the scene of Experiment Lab #1 was revealed—a chilling tableau that sent a shiver down even Leylin's resolute spine.
Corpses. An endless expanse of white human bones stretched before him, their skeletal remains piled high in a macabre monument to death.
The densely packed bones formed a towering mountain, layer upon layer of forgotten lives, their ivory surfaces gleaming faintly under the dim light.
A rancid odor, thick with the stench of decay, rotting flesh, and centuries-old death, assaulted Leylin's senses. Mingled with it was an overwhelming surge of negative energy particles, so dense they seemed to congeal into a black wave that roared toward Leylin.
This was Experiment Lab #1, nestled deep within the secret plane of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, a place steeped in slaughter and sacrifice. The sheer scale of the carnage was staggering, a testament to the sect's dark legacy.
Yet, as the black wave of energy surged toward him, a dark light flashed from Leylin's body, meeting the onslaught head-on. He inhaled deeply, savoring the tainted air.
For a Dark Magus like him, who thrived on the cultivation of Darkness energy particles, this environment was a paradise. The dense negative energy reduced the strain on his spiritual force and magic power, while amplifying the potency of his spells.
"Yes... This is exactly what I wanted," Leylin declared, his voice a low growl of satisfaction.
His eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement as he fixated on the mountain of white bones, a treasure trove of potential power. Greedily, he drew in another breath, the acrid air fueling his ambition.
"Come out," he commanded, his voice resonating with authority. From his soul space, the Black Horrall Snake materialized, its massive form slithering into existence with a thunderous hiss that echoed through the chamber.
Leylin's gaze sharpened as he assessed the creature's status, his mind calculating the strength of his summoned ally.
[Beep! Black Horrall Snake Summon. Rank: 1. Bloodline: Shadow Serpent. Strength: 15.5, Agility: 16.2, Vitality: 13.3, Spiritual Force: 20.1, Magical Power: 20. Special Ability: Thunder Horn - Emits a concentrated electrical discharge capable of stunning or injuring targets within a 5-meter radius.]
Over the past year, Leylin had devoted himself to bolstering his power, purifying his bloodline, and enhancing the Black Horrall Snake through relentless devouring. He knew well the threat posed by Gargamel, a being whose strength rivaled or even surpassed that of a newly ascended Rank 2 Magus.
Yet, Leylin was confident that Gargamel had not yet reached the formidable heights of Rank 3. With his own raw power, amplified by bloodline remodeling, Leylin feared no Rank 2 Magus, even if he could not fully manifest his spiritual force. His preparation and cunning were his greatest weapons.
Leylin began his ascent, using the mountain of white bones as his path.
*Crack!*
The ancient bones crumbled into fine powder beneath his steps, forming a thick layer of dust that swirled around him. The Black Horrall Snake followed closely, its scales glinting ominously as it slithered behind its master.
Leylin surveyed the grim landscape, noting the progression of remains as he climbed. At the base, the majority were ordinary human bones, with only a scattering of Knight-ranked skeletons. Higher up, the bones of Knights and even Grand Knights became more prevalent, their presence marked by faint traces of residual energy.
Halfway up the mountain, the remains shifted dramatically. Knight and Grand Knight bones dominated, interspersed with those of acolytes, their skeletal forms radiating a subtle magical aura.
As Leylin neared the summit, the bones belonged to official Magi, their corpses imbued with a potent concentration of radiation that set them apart. At the very peak, partially rotten corpses lay strewn about, their tattered robes still clinging to their forms.
Some appeared almost lifelike, as though merely sleeping, preserved by the ancient magic that permeated the air. The arrangement of these remains was peculiar, forming a pattern that resembled a map of the secret plane's surrounding areas. Leylin's eyes narrowed as he commanded the A.I. Chip to record every detail, recognizing the strategic value of this discovery.
At the center of the summit stood an altar, its focal point a grotesque skull used as a sacrificial offering. The skull, humanoid yet alien, bore two black, goat-like horns curving from its cranium. Leylin's gaze lingered on it, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Go!" he commanded through his consciousness, releasing the Black Horrall Snake and additional snakes stored within his Ring of Despots. The serpents dispersed in different directions, each crowned with a crimson, diamond-shaped crystal glowing atop their heads.
With a unified hiss, they shattered the crystals, and a crimson screen erupted from the fragments, encasing the area within a formidable spell formation.
Satisfied with his preparations, Leylin produced a fragment of ancient parchment and tossed it toward the altar. He had already fortified the spirit altar with a defensive formation, a precaution against the power he was about to unleash.
"Activate," he intoned, and the crimson formation linked seamlessly with the altar's defenses. This was the core of the secret plane, its power so immense that only a force capable of destroying the entire plane could breach the combined formations.
As the parchment touched the altar, it burst into light yellow flames, pure and delicate like a sprouting seed. The flames grew, shifting to a pale blue hue as they consumed the parchment entirely.
The altar trembled, as though awakening from an eons-long slumber. From the crevices between the bones, fresh red blood began to trickle, staining the white remains with crimson rivulets. Dark rays of light pulsed from the eye sockets of countless skulls, casting an eerie glow across the summit.
"Gargamel?!" Leylin's voice was steady, his eyes locked on the altar as the being worshipped by the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect began to stir. The sect believed that a spirit was the final resting place for all beings, and Gargamel was the malevolent entity that presided over them.
*Weng Weng!*
The air vibrated with a low hum as an ancient devil awoke once more. A chilling aura, ice-cold and steeped in malice, descended upon the mountain of bones, sending ripples of fear through the secret plane itself.
Black gas swirled and coalesced, forming a gigantic, translucent figure that loomed over the altar. The figure seized the horned skull, donning it like a mask, its crimson eyes glowing with a malevolent intelligence that seemed to regard all life as insignificant.
"Jiik!"
it bellowed, its voice a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the plane.
The black defensive spell formation Leylin had erected quivered under the sound waves but held firm, its structure repairing itself with astonishing speed. The shadow atop the altar turned its gaze toward Leylin, its vicious spiritual force locking onto him with unyielding intensity.
"Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" Gargamel's voice thundered, its tone laced with fury and suspicion. Newly awakened and without offerings, the entity was weakened, yet its power should have been sufficient to shatter Leylin's defenses.
The resilience of the formation, coupled with the cold determination in Leylin's eyes, stirred a sense of dread within the ancient being.
"Hello, Gargamel," Leylin replied, his voice calm and measured. "My name is not important. My presence before you is not important. The reason behind this formation is not important. The only thing worth knowing in this cruel and detestable world is that I am the hunter, and you are the prey."
His hands moved swiftly, weaving intricate gestures as he chanted incantations, his demeanor unshaken by the entity's wrath.
"DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO, FILTH!?" Gargamel roared, its devilish voice reverberating as it unleashed its titanic spiritual force in a direct assault. Leylin remained unfazed, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"For all of your life, you have devoured and destroyed others, feeding off them to grow stronger, mocking their measly strength before you. But when the tables are turned, you are no different. This is just the world we live in—the strong have the right to do as they wish to those weaker than them. Until now, you have enjoyed being on that side. Now, you will have a chance to experience being the victim."
"A.I. Chip, initiate the command," Leylin thought, his gaze fixed on Gargamel's futile attempts to breach the defensive formation.
[Beep! Customized Ten Thousand Spirits: Hades' Sacrificial Rites initiating] the A.I. Chip responded. A haunting wail, like the cries of grieving spirits or the laments of the suffering, filled the air, emanating from the mountain of bones.
Tiny black runes materialized, writhing like tadpoles or slithering snakes, their mysterious forms coalescing into a massive spell formation that enveloped the entire mountain.
Streams of black light wove together, filling the craters and crevices of the bone-strewn landscape. The spell formation activated with a surge of power, and milky-white and dull red rays began to shimmer around the crimson defensive barrier encircling Gargamel.
"Spirits!" Gargamel exclaimed, its voice tinged with recognition. "This is a spell formation that specifically targets the spirits of boundless grievance, and somehow it's also collecting all of the elemental energy here!"
The entity's crimson eyes widened as it struggled to recall where it had encountered such a formation before.
The white and red spots, drawn by an irresistible force, surged toward the crimson screen at the formation's center.
*Tss tss!*
The spirits dissolved upon contact, absorbed into the barrier. As more spirits were consumed, the reddish hue deepened, transforming into a dark red, imposing structure that pulsed with newfound strength.
Leylin watched, his expression one of quiet triumph, as the trap he had meticulously set tightened around the ancient devil. The mountain of bones, once a monument to death, now served as the stage for his victory over Gargamel.