Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

The value of these treasures extended beyond their material worth. They represented the culmination of centuries of rule, the achievements of his ancestors, and the strength of his nation.

With each passing generation, the Onyx Sovereigns had added to this collection, solidifying their position as one of the most formidable kingdoms around the northwestern region.

Gladion's eyes did not stay put on the treasures for long and quickly shifted towards a figure at the far end of the chamber.

Cloaked in a dark robe, the figure sat in silence amidst the mountains of treasures. The details of their appearance remained shrouded in mystery. Their presence exuded an ancient aura and undeniable power, a force that was palpable even from a distance.

What was most striking about this figure was the unusual hue of their hands—a strange, ghostly grey that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Their hands moved with a fluid grace, and from them, a greyish-black energy emanated, weaving intricate patterns in the air.

This energy flowed from the figure's fingertips, extending to the items suspended before them and painting them an eerie grey colour.

The figure continued with its activity and one by one, all the relics and items suspended in front of the figure was changed into a greyish black colour.

What kind of ritual was that? What was the figure doing with all these items? The exact nature of this ritual was only known by Gladion and the figure presiding over it.

"Your Lordship… things are going according to plan. With Ellesmere as the starting point, in a couple of decades, Blackthorn will be ruling the entire northwester region" Gladion got on his knees and reported respectfully.

For him, a ruler of the kingdom and the highest authority in this place to kneel down to someone, one could imagine what kind of status the mysterious figure possessed.

"Ghgkgjkhjn… this speed is not enough. Faster… we need to be faster"

The mysterious figure opened by speaking some gibberish words before attuning their voice to speak words that made sense.

"This subordinate will do everything in his power. I just wanted to ask when will the next batch of those weapons be ready and when will your lordship regain all their power's back"…

"Ghghjjghh… the weapons will be ready soon. As for my powers, I will soon regain them. At that time, all the critters running around and soiling this world, will be wiped away. Of course, your Blackthorn will remain"

The voice of the mysterious figure was heavy and resentful. It gave one chill just by listening to it.

"Understood, many thanks to your lordship" Gladion deeply bowed his head, stored away the items that had been reconsecrated before turning around to leave.

'Oman you think you can look down on my Blackthorn just because your Kingdom of Ingolf is a Second Grade country? Hmph, just you wait, in the grand plans of his lordship you all are nothing but mere ants with only one end, and that is destruction. My kingdom of Blackthorn who has already allied with his lordship, has already scored its future' Gladion thought internally on his way to the exit. 

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Forbidden Grounds, Sixth trial.

Simon landed on the vast snowy expanse and released a deep breath of relief. Thankfully, the fracture in the River of Destiny did not teleport him to some random place and sent him back from where he came from.

Simon took a few seconds to compose his mind and organise his thoughts. He had survived falling into the river of destiny, the Yin Yang Koi Fish guided him to exit, his enemy Godwin had died, and he even managed to activate the second authority of his fragments of pride.

One could say that the trip to the River of Destiny although very short, was a very eventful one.

"It looks like I was stranded very far away from the place where we fought"

Finished organising his thoughts, Simon remarked observing his surroundings. Currently, he was in a vast snow covered plains. Everywhere he laid his eyes on, he could only see the endless falling snow and the arctic clouds above.

There were no signs of any mountains to be seen even at the distant horizons. If he wanted to complete the trail, he needed to find the location of the Abomination which was beyond the vast snowy mountain range.

Fortunately, he remembered that he got a notification from the Forbidden Grounds saying that the trial was halted right before he and Godwin was sucked into the unknown domain. That is to say, all the progress he made during this time in the trial was not lost.

"It doesn't look like the trial started yet. Could it be that it would only start once I reach the place where the Abomination was?"

Simon contemplated, he unfurled his wings and using the Harmony Stone he navigated his way back. Because the trial was in a suspended state, the falling snow did not suppress his level making it easier for him to fly freely.

After a while, the enormous mountain range appeared in his line of vision and beyond it was the battlefield where they fought Godwin and the Fourth Finger.

As soon as Simon appeared near a certain range of the battlefield, he felt as if he crossed some sort of barrier and time had started running once again. His hunch was soon proved right when he received a notification from the forbidden grounds saying that the Sixth Trial had been resumed.

GROOOOAARRR…

Simon heard a distant roar and arrived before the Abomination who was still bound by the chains and pillars. It appeared that even with Godwin gone, the seal he put on the Abomination was still active.

Though it was unknown how long it would stay like this, Simon needed to act fast. Since the Trial was halted, all the damage and exhaustion inflicted by Godwin on the Abomination, was still there. As such, he did not have to fight the Abomination all over again.

Anyway, although many unexpected occurrences appeared one after another in the way, Simon's main goal for coming here was always to clear the trial. Now with all the distractions gone, he could focus on his goal ahead and finish this trial at last.

GRAAAOOHHH… Simon looked at the growling Abomination in the distance and opened his Menu.

To deal with Godwin and the Fourth Finger, he had to use almost all of his trump cards. The Finger of Ozymandias needed time to recover all of its expended curse energy and the [Ancestral symbol Ignition] went into cooldown. He would not be able to use it again for a week.

This left only one other trick in his sleeve that held the power to bring down the Abomination in front of him. Simon's eyes slid toward the option on the bottom right corner of the Main Menu, right above the [Setting] option.

The option [Shortcuts] which had been inaccessible to him ever since he reincarnated on this world, had become accessible to him once again after the dungeon reached the intermediate rank.

He had working on this trump card of his for more than ten months now and finally, the time to unleash its might has come. Simon extended his fingers and tapped on the option. At that very instant a magnificent and ominous phenomenon occurred.

The light in the surroundings took on a golden black hue and a terrible fluctuation spread through dozens of kilometres of land. Before Simon could perceive it, a towering, flaming conflagration appeared above his head, its fierce golden flames flickering with an otherworldly luminance.

This blazing inferno extended high above Simon, a titanic fireball that dwarfed him in comparison. Within this colossal sphere of golden fire, a sinister black energy swirled at its heart, resembling like the eye of a malevolent demon.

The darkness within pulsed and writhed, like the maleficent gaze that gave one chill just by glancing at it.

The fireball's size was nothing short of awe-inspiring, its sheer magnitude enough to distort the very space and leave scorching marks in its fabric.

As it hovered menacingly above Simon, it seemed as though it could consume the very essence of existence itself.

"Amalgamation Magic- [Dark Infernal Blaze]"

Simon muttered inside his heart. The colossal ball of conflagration that appeared out of nowhere, was none other than the Amalgamation magic that was cast and stored by Simon inside the [Shortcuts] option.

It was a magic that was a result of combining two different attributes of magic, the advanced tier Infernal Magic and the Novice Dark Magic and possessed an extremely destructive might.

The option [Shortcuts], was once just a simple feature of a virtual game; however, after crossing worlds, it transcended its digital boundaries and evolved into a formidable asset for Simon.

In the realm of the game, it was a revered and coveted option, a gift that allowed the players to exceed the constraints of time and ability. An option that was a manifestation of convenience and tactical brilliance which allowed the players to deposit their most frequently used skills, incantations, or abilities within the slots of this option.

Thus allowing them to access the said skill or abilities from the [Shortcuts] instantaneously and without any delay.

Using this option, the players could transcend the typical casting or activation time and use the fraction of a second's advantage that often proved the decisive factor in a heated battle.

The activation of the [Shortcuts] option presented the user with an otherworldly interface, resembling a vault filled with slots. Here, they could deposit, categorize, and organize their chosen abilities. Each skill or ability had a designated slot within this extra dimensional repository.