Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Against Infernals

After making sure everyone ia out of the Red Hell, Jake looked around and expanded hsi senses, sensing no one around 10 km , he sits and touches the ground and invokes his Authority.

Jake activated his Pathfinder authority, his senses expanding to gather information about Red Hell. He closed his eyes, focusing deeply as the knowledge flowed into his mind.

Red Hell was a vast continent, surrounded by a turbulent red ocean that seemed to stretch endlessly. The continent itself was harsh and uninviting, covered in jagged red rocks and crimson sand. There were six shrines strategically placed at the continent’s corners, each emanating a unique energy that Jake could barely decipher. These shrines acted as gateways, their significance hinted at by the powerful auras they projected. Jake surmised they were protecting some kind of treasures or perhaps ancient secrets, but he couldn’t be certain.

In the center of the continent stood a massive shrine, dwarfing the others in both size and presence. The structure was ancient, its dark stone walls etched with intricate, menacing symbols. Just looking at it filled Jake with an overwhelming sense of dread. Whatever lay within that central shrine was beyond anything he had ever encountered, a force of unimaginable power and malice.

As he absorbed this information, Jake turned to Ramis. “This place… it’s more dangerous than we could have imagined. The six shrines at the corners are protecting something important, though I’m not sure what. But that central shrine,” he gestured towards the distant structure, “it gives me a feeling of dread. We need to be extremely careful.”

Ramis nodded, the gravity of their situation clear in his eyes. “What should we do next?”

“We’ll need to investigate the corner shrines first,” Jake replied. “Whatever they’re protecting might give us a clue about how to handle the central shrine. But we need to be prepared for anything. The Infernals won’t make this easy for us.”

With a common goal, Jake and Ramis began their journey across the red sands, heading towards the nearest shrine, ready to face the infernals and also to find what is the significance of those shrines.

Jake and Ramis trudged through the desolate landscape of Red Hell, the red sand crunching beneath their feet. As they journeyed towards the first shrine, they encountered a host of monstrous desert creatures. The air was thick with tension, every step laden with the potential for ambush.

The first threat emerged from beneath the sands—a gigantic sand worm, its segmented body erupting from the ground with a roar. Jake reacted swiftly, summoning a blaze of infernal flames that engulfed the creature’s head. The worm writhed in agony, its scorched flesh hissing.

Ramis stepped forward, his eyes glowing with the power of Void and Destruction. He unleashed a torrent of dark energy that ripped through the worm’s body, reducing it to ash. “Nice work,” Jake said, nodding in approval.

They pressed on, but the desert’s dangers were relentless. Enormous scorpions, their stingers dripping with venom, scuttled from the shadows. One lunged at Jake, but he dodged with supernatural agility, countering with a blast of light that disintegrated the creature on contact.

Meanwhile, Ramis faced down another scorpion. He created a sphere of void energy in his palm, hurling it at the creature. The sphere expanded, enveloping the scorpion and collapsing it into nothingness. “These things are everywhere,” Ramis muttered.

As they moved closer to the shrine, more bizarre monsters emerged—a pack of ravenous desert wolves with crystalline fangs, and massive, armored beetles that charged with relentless fury. Jake used his infernal powers to create a barrier of flames, holding the wolves at bay while Ramis unleashed waves of destructive void energy, shattering the beetles’ armor and crushing their bodies.

Hours passed, and the battles, although easy, were mentally taxing, causing Jake and Ramis some frustration. Finally, the first shrine came into view. It was an imposing structure, carved from dark stone and covered in ancient runes. A foreboding energy radiated from it, but when Jake and Ramis tried to use their respective abilities to glean information, it proved futile.

Ramis just shrugged, thinking his Void eyes were limited by his own low realm. Jake’s lips pursed in frustration. The fact that he couldn’t extract any information meant only one thing: “It’s beyond Celestaria’s world limit.”

[True, after all, Akashic Authority is now powerful enough to even perfectly scan a Monarch,] Nexus said, agreeing with Jake.

“Not to mention this is just the last shrine in order,” Myne added. Jake had decided to move from the shrine with the lowest energy emanation to the one with the highest.

Jake nodded, reflecting on Myne’s words. “If this is the weakest, we need to be even more cautious. Whatever lies ahead will only grow more dangerous.”

They pushed open the heavy stone doors of the shrine, the air inside colder and thicker with dread. As they stepped in, the runes on the walls seemed to pulse with a dark energy, casting eerie shadows around them.

“Let’s stay focused,” Jake said, his voice steady. “We need to understand the purpose of these shrines if we want to find a way to handle the central one.”

Ramis nodded, his expression serious. “Agreed. Let’s see what secrets this place holds.”

Together, they looked at the narrow corridor before them. Just as they stepped inside, the torches lining the walls began igniting one by one, casting flickering light across the passage. Each torch illuminated briefly before retreating back into the walls, creating an eerie, rhythmic glow that guided their way forward.

The corridor was narrow, the stone walls close enough that they had to walk single file. The flickering torchlight revealed intricate carvings and runes etched into the walls, though their meanings remained elusive. The air was thick with an ancient, musty smell, and the faint echo of their footsteps added to the growing sense of unease.

The corridor was narrow, the stone walls close enough that they had to walk single file. The flickering torchlight revealed intricate carvings and runes etched into the walls, though their meanings remained elusive. The air was thick with an ancient, musty smell, and the faint echo of their footsteps added to the growing sense of unease.

Jake once again tried to use his Akashic Authority Sun skill to discern the meanings of the runes, but once again, he gained nothing. Frustration crept in, but with it came a growing certainty. This gate was definitely from a higher dimension than Celestaria.

“This confirms it,” Jake muttered, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space. “This gate is beyond Celestaria’s realm.”

Ramis glanced back at Jake, his expression serious. “Which means the dangers and the stakes are far higher than we imagined.”

“Exactly,” Jake replied. “We need to be even more cautious.”

“Stay alert,” Jake whispered, his eyes scanning for any sign of danger. He kept a tight grip on his weapon, ready for any sudden attack.

Ramis followed closely behind, his senses on high alert. “This place feels like a trap. We need to be careful.”

As they proceeded deeper into the shrine, the corridor opened into a larger chamber. The walls were lined with more torches, which ignited in a wave as they entered, revealing the room’s ominous contents. In the center of the chamber stood a large stone altar, surrounded by strange, glowing symbols that pulsed with a dark energy.

Ramis studied the runes, his Void eyes attempting to pierce their secrets. “These are unlike anything I’ve seen. They seem to be a protective barrier, but their exact purpose is beyond me.”

Jake’s mind raced. “If this is the weakest shrine, the central one must be immensely powerful. We need to understand how these shrines connect to form the overall barrier.”

Before they could analyze further, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The symbols on the floor glowed brighter, and a low, guttural growl echoed through the chamber. Something was awakening.

“We’re not alone,” Ramis said, readying his powers.

Jake nodded, preparing himself for the imminent fight. “Whatever it is, we need to deal with it quickly and find out what secrets this shrine holds.”

From the shadows emerged a massive, monstrous guardian, its eyes burning with malevolent energy. The creature’s form was twisted and nightmarish, radiating an aura of ancient, dark power.

“[Just a guardian? I thought we encountered the Infernals,]” Nexus remarked, seeing the massive golem. Unlike other statue-like golems, this one resembled a Necromancer’s Flesh Golem.

Its body was made of black, rotting leather, and its face was a horrifying blend of many faces, with tongues slithering in and out from all over it. The sight was enough to give even the bravest of men nightmares.

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “This thing is what I could have never even imagine in my nightmares” he said looking at the rotting monstrosity.

The golem roared, the sound a chilling blend of multiple voices, each one dripping with malice. It lunged forward, swinging its grotesque limbs with terrifying strength.