After Ethan issued the command to depart, everyone mounted the back of the black dragon, Komait. Soon after, Komait took to the sky, heading towards the location in his memory.
The fierce wind howled past them, and the scenery below unfolded before their eyes.
Except for the center of the cave, which had sunk to form a basin, the surrounding areas were still crimson hills.
Every so often, small mountain peaks would rise, and in some places, bottomless holes led directly into the depths of the cave.
This gave everyone an eerie sensation, as if the entire cavern was like the porous remnant of a smelted metal.
Flying for three days was a trivial task for a dragon like Komait.
However, unbeknownst to Ethan and the party, during these three days, horrifying events had transpired in the cave.
Numerous adventurers had been slain by blood-red mud monsters that sprang from nowhere.
Only a few of the more powerful individuals managed to escape, though they were gravely wounded.
Yet, at this juncture, no one chose to retreat.
Another event had unfolded.
The fire-element magus, Alaric, who had once pursued Komait, had successfully utilized the Blood Source.
This greatly amplified his strength, perhaps excessively so.
Not only did his magical prowess escalate, but more crucially, Alaric gained the ability to fly, soaring freely in the skies.
This was a monumental stimulus for everyone.
Therefore, even with the inherent dangers of staying in the cave, no one opted to leave.
Challenges on the path to success were inevitable.
Without the courage to strive, how could one ever succeed?
...
"Hold tight, we're about to land!"
After three days of flight, as they neared their destination, Komait warned the group.
Ethan peered below, his brows furrowing in puzzlement.
"Komait, are you sure this is the place? It doesn't quite match what you described."
Komait too took in the scene below.
Lava surged from the earth's depths, meeting the underground river and cooling to form obsidian.
In areas not yet covered by the lava lay the carcass of a giant octopus, surrounded by numerous dead monkeys, all bearing six eyes.
There appeared to be no living creatures left below.
Komait was certain this was the location he had previously visited, though it seemed to have undergone changes.
He explained, "This is the right place, but it seems the cave has transformed more rapidly. After all, it's the resting place of a deity, so some anomalies are to be expected."
With that, Komait identified a suitable spot and began his descent.
Upon landing, Eluna noticed the corpse of the six-eyed monkey creature and nodded at Ethan, saying, "This is indeed the creature I encountered before."
"Perhaps these beasts couldn't withstand the intense heat," Sherry ventured as she approached.
"Perhaps," Ethan agreed, nodding in affirmation.
Only when everyone had disembarked did they fully observe the peculiar state of the dead creatures.
Apart from the giant octopus, which was skewered by a large, elongated rock, none of the other creatures bore any signs of battle.
Many seemed to have died simultaneously, with several still frozen in the act of feeding.
However, the cause of the creatures' deaths was of little concern to Ethan and the others.
"Let's search the area," he instructed. "The underground relics related to the Space Ring might be around here."
Ethan directed the group, beginning his own search as well.
They tirelessly sifted through the creature remains, but their efforts seemed fruitless.
It appeared that this wasn't the location of the ruins after all.
Sovic's discovery of the ring might have merely been a fluke.
However, Ethan's gaze lingered on the massive octopus, deep in thought.
"Ethan, what's on your mind?" Sherry noticed Ethan's distraction and inquired with concern.
Lifting his eyes to the colossal octopus, Ethan observed its awe-inspiring aura, even in death, which attested to its formidable nature in life.
"I think we might be missing the bigger picture," he began.
"The Space Ring is undoubtedly valuable, but the corpses of these creatures hold significant worth as well."
Pointing to the scattered bodies on the ground, he continued, "The mere existence of such creatures in this cave speaks to their uniqueness."
"And the space inside the Space Ring is vast enough to store all these remains without filling it completely."
Ethan was always one for action, and once he had an idea, he acted on it swiftly.
In short order, the corpses of the various creatures were stowed within the confines of the Space Ring.
Soon, all but the gigantic octopus had been collected.
However, as Ethan focused his consciousness on the octopus, intending to store it within the Space Ring as well, there was no response.
It was the first time he had encountered such a resistance since possessing the ring.
The Space Ring was designed to contain lifeless objects, and the lifeless octopus surely met that criteria, yet it couldn't be drawn inside.
"There's something amiss; something might be within this creature!" Ethan speculated.
Ethan retrieved a broadsword, approaching the massive skull of the octopus, and with one powerful swing, he brought the blade down.
A strike that would cleave an ordinary man in two merely left a small gash on the octopus.
Unfazed, Ethan swung again, and after more than a dozen attempts, he finally opened the great cephalopod's head.
"Treasure!" Komait's eyes widened in amazement upon glimpsing what lay inside.
Piles of golden coins shimmered with a rich hue, surrounded by an array of scattered gemstones.
Yet Ethan's focus wasn't on these riches.
He reached deeper, extracting an old wooden box lying next to the coins.
His intuition told him that this box was what had prevented the octopus from being absorbed into the Space Ring.
And indeed, once the box was removed, the octopus was seamlessly stored within the ring.
"What's this?" The group converged around Ethan, curiosity evident in their eyes.
The old box in Ethan's hands appeared unremarkable, resembling any ordinary container. Its only peculiar trait was an impenetrability to mental probing.
"Why not open it?" Eluna and Komait suggested.
Ethan voiced no objection but asked everyone to step back for safety.
With meticulous care, he gently opened the box.
No danger presented itself, and the box's interior was unexpectedly plain - containing only a worn-out journal and a rusty dagger.
Ethan took out the tattered journal and began to leaf through it.
On the title page, in neat handwriting, there was an inscription:
[To those who come after us, if you've stumbled upon this Book of Records, perhaps our kingdom has already fallen.
Our pride and arrogance led to our downfall, for we unleashed a monster, a world-devouring entity—Devourer Oksd!
If you are fortunate to find our left-behind notes, perhaps you still have a chance to save the world.
However, this all hinges on Oksd not having fully awakened.
Yes, you read right.
Oksd did not perish.
We created a mighty god, yet lacked the means to counter him.
Even at the price of our kingdom's annihilation, we managed only to destroy Oksd's physical form.
His core, his heart, still beats, and with the passage of time, it accumulates energy, readying for rebirth.
When that moment comes, it will be a calamity for all.
For this reason, we leave behind this Book of Records and the Godslayer Dagger.
The book chronicles Oksd's vulnerabilities, while the dagger is crafted to pierce Oksd's heart, sealing him away for good.
However, it won't be easy.
Theoretically, it would require about a hundred thousand stabs...
Good luck, successors.]
Upon finishing the message inscribed on the title page, a profound silence enveloped the group.
The revelation that Oksd still lived was shocking to everyone.
Even though Ethan had sensed something amiss from the series of events that had transpired, having their suspicions confirmed was still hard to fathom.
"Is this what a god is? Powerful enough to rival an entire kingdom and nearly impossible to kill?"
Ethan was awestruck by the magnitude of the deity's power.
Eluna, Sherry, and the others couldn't contain their apprehension.
Eluna analyzed, "It seems that the creature we encountered earlier, the one that pulled people into walls, might have been Oksd's doing."
"That's a god! Even if it's weakened and not fully awakened, can we stand against it?"
"We shouldn't worry too much. We still have the Godslayer Dagger," Komait reassured, reaching for the dagger in the box, intending to test its might.
But to everyone's surprise, the dagger shattered in Komait's grasp, its fragments scattering on the ground.
Everyone stared at Komait with bemused expressions.
Visibly embarrassed, Komait defended himself, "I swear, truly, I didn't use any force!"
Ethan cast a glance at Komait, interjecting, "Let's not dwell on that. We need to decide now. Should we remain in this cave or make our escape?"
"I have a feeling that things within this cavern are intensifying. We must make a choice soon."
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