Darkness

Eryon walked through the damp cave corridor, the wet ground squelching beneath his feet. The rhythmic sound of dripping water filled the silence, creating an eerie yet oddly tranquil atmosphere. However, amidst this quiet, there were faint noises—indescribable whispers that brushed against his ears, putting him on high alert.

In a place where he had no idea what could happen, he had to stay cautious. One could say that his encounter with Andy was pure luck. If they had actually dueled, he wasn't sure he would have won. And now, there were still three others whose whereabouts and situations remained unknown to him.

"May you bless me again, Lady Luck," Eryon murmured.

As he continued forward, the sound of dripping water gradually faded, and the air grew hotter. With each passing second, the temperature seemed to rise drastically. What had once been cool, damp ground was now dry and radiating heat, as if fire raged beneath his feet.

"What the hell? Am I walking toward the earth's core? Why is it so damn hot?" he muttered, frowning as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Every step he took became increasingly unbearable, and the narrowing cave made it difficult for him to summon his ethereal steed.

Then, as he took another step, a sharp sizzling sound came from his shoes—the heat was so intense that the soles had started to melt.

Eryon immediately picked up his pace, activating his Paw Step skill, but the faster he moved, the quicker his shoes deteriorated. Eventually, they melted completely.

"Ahh, fuck!" he yelled, leaping into the air and using his gravitational abilities to propel himself forward.

Sizz!

The moment his bare feet touched the ground, searing pain shot through him as his skin burned on contact. Gritting his teeth, he jumped again, forcing his gravity control to the limit, keeping himself airborne.

However, his power came at a cost. The exertion drained what little mana he had left, causing his body to tense up, veins bulging from the strain.

His levitation didn't last long. His control over gravity wavered, and he plummeted back down.

Sizz!

A sharp sizzling sound echoed as his body hit the scorching ground.

"Argh! It burns!!" he screamed in agony, forcing himself to his feet despite the pain. Without hesitation, he pushed himself to his absolute limit, leaping once more and ignoring the fresh burns searing his side.

As he soared through the air, his eyes glowed red, blood vessels surging from the immense strain. Even his nose began to bleed.

The unbearable heat blistered his skin in certain spots.

Sizz!

Another landing. This time, his left foot was completely burned, the skin raw and seared, but he gritted his teeth and kept moving.

Sizz!

His right foot suffered the same fate, but he refused to let the pain stop him.

In that moment, a faint light appeared in the distance.

Seeing it, his determination blazed even brighter.

His eyes sharpened, his focus unshakable.

Sizz!

One final leap.

And then—he was out.

The blinding light momentarily stole his vision.

A strange sensation washed over him—his body felt weightless, as if he were floating on soft clouds. There was no physical contact, only an overwhelming sense of suspension.

Then, without warning, a pair of colossal eyes appeared above him, staring down with an eerie intensity. Eryon's body tensed immediately, instincts screaming at him to be alert. The sheer intimidation radiating from those eyes was suffocating.

They were sharp, piercing, with crimson pupils that seemed to look straight through him, as if peeling away the layers of his existence.

"Which one are you?" a deep, enigmatic voice suddenly echoed around him.

Eryon's wariness deepened. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice firm but cautious.

"If you are not one of them, then you were never meant for this," the voice responded.

His expression remained serious, but determination flickered in his eyes. He didn't know whether "them" referred to Erwin's party or something else entirely, but he needed to say something.

Images flashed through his mind—the moment he transmigrated, the system that granted him the ability to steal others' powers.

Without hesitation, his lips parted. "I'm the chosen one!" he declared.

The massive eyes continued to watch him, unblinking. This time, they remained silent for over ten seconds, as if analyzing his very soul. Then, at last, the voice spoke again.

"Beware of God."

Eryon's eyes widened at those words.

The surreal moment lingered for only a few more seconds before—

Thud!

He crashed onto the ground, reality slamming back into him.

The suffocating heat from before had vanished.

Now, he found himself inside an eerie, dimly lit chamber, its source of illumination unclear. The floor beneath him was smooth, seemingly made of crystal, reflecting faint, ghostly glimmers in the darkness.

With a groan, Eryon pushed himself up, pain flaring through his body. His burns stung with every movement, and his already tattered clothing had taken further damage—several parts had been completely burned away, exposing his left side, where raw, blistered skin stood out against the rest of him.

"What the hell did I just hear? Again with this 'beware of God' thing?" he muttered, shaking his head.

Had the gods truly been unaware of his transmigration, forcing other entities to issue these warnings?

He had no answers.

But at the very least, he could breathe again now that the strange ordeal was over.

As he steadied himself, his gaze fixed upon six colossal statues standing in a row, each distinct in form.

They all possessed humanoid features—heads, torsos, two arms, and two legs—but each had its own unique appearance. One wore a flowing robe, another bore the head of a lion, and one was a woman.

Eryon steadied his breathing, carefully examining each statue.

If he wasn't mistaken, these were the six deities described in the carvings he had read at the entrance of this place.

But as he observed more closely, his eyes narrowed.

Behind the six massive statues stood countless others—dozens, no, hundreds—shorter in size but varied in form.

"What are they? Subordinates?" Eryon muttered, exhaling in exhaustion. "This place is seriously confusing."

Thinking back, it was almost unbelievable that he had ended up here. His original goal had been nothing more than hunting wild beasts and a few monsters.

Taking a deep breath, he finally asked the system, "What should I do now, System?"

[Touch one of the six statues. It will grant you a power]

Eryon raised an intrigued eyebrow. Choosing a statue?

This treasure was far different from what he had imagined.

"Do you have a recommendation?" he asked.

[Nope]

Eryon nodded and turned his gaze back to the statues.

He immediately ruled out the woman, the lion-headed figure, and the robed man holding a staff.

Instead, his attention focused on the remaining three.

One was a muscular warrior wielding a massive sword, his face shattered beyond recognition.

Another was a man with large, outstretched wings, dressed in intricate yet mysterious garments.

And the last—Eryon stepped closer to inspect it.

It depicted a man clad in full black armor, tactical and battle-ready.

There was an aura of mystery, grandeur, and something else—something that called to him.

He reached out and touched the statue.

Instantly, a vision flashed through his mind.

It was fleeting, blurred, and gone as quickly as it came.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered, stepping back in confusion.

The vision had felt like a memory—vague and unclear. But he had caught glimpses of something: a battlefield, a figure clad in black, and millions of soldiers bowing before him.

And then, darkness engulfed him.

A swirling, black mist wrapped around his body, lifting him off the ground.

Eryon didn't have the strength to resist.

The shadows grew denser, consuming him completely.

His form disappeared.

The dark energy churned violently, forming what looked like a cocoon, concealing him within.

Minutes passed.

The chaotic energy began to subside, eventually dissipating altogether.

Eryon landed softly, his body no longer in pain.

Looking down at his hands, he saw tendrils of black energy emanating from his skin.

[You have obtained one of the World's Essences: Darkness]

Eryon raised an eyebrow at the holographic message before him.

"World's Essence, Darkness... Does that mean I can manipulate darkness?" he asked.

[It is not that simple. A World's Essence is both a key and a power. Over time, you will come to understand its true nature]

Eryon frowned. The system wasn't giving him a clear explanation, but he was still pleased with the result.

"Alright… so, is this my final destination? Was this the treasure of this place?" he asked again.

[Correct. And this place will collapse soon]

"What?!"

Eryon's head snapped up in alarm, scanning for an exit.

Now, strangely, his body felt lighter—his wounds seemingly healed after obtaining the Essence of Darkness.

But there was no way out.

He moved frantically, searching for something, anything.

And then—

A strange sensation coursed through him.

Looking down at his hands, he realized his body was radiating an intense, dense black energy.

And in the next instant—

His form dissolved into pure darkness.

The swirling black mist surged forward, slipping through the cave's walls as if defying all logic.

Moments later, the energy reformed, reconstructing Eryon outside, in front of the massive cliff.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion shook the ground.

Eryon's eyes widened in shock.

The massive cliff—the entrance to that mysterious place—had been obliterated, reduced to nothing but rubble.