When everyone entered, a distortion in space surrounded them, immersing them in something mysterious. Quickly, they felt as if they were covered by an enigmatic substance reminiscent of volcanic ashes.
These ashes were dense and mysterious, floating in the air like a sinister mist, absorbing any beam of heat and life that tried to break through the darkness.
As they fixed their gaze on the horizon, Alm and Bruno realized that the realm of ashes extended uniquely, equivalent to the central area of the other four realms. From the outside, its dimension seemed to have a few dozen kilometers, but everything was completely distorted by the intense spatial laws of the place. It was as if they were witnessing an altered reality, where the area stretched unimaginably, covering hundreds of times more territory than seemed possible.
In this first glimpse, Alm immediately furrowed his brows. ’These ashes; they are a balanced but exceptionally dense mixture of Yin and infernal laws...’
Alm then, with his soul, probed what at first glance seemed like simple macabre volcanic dust; soon, a slight shock reverberated within him. ’The amount of power contained only in the thin layer of ashes before our eyes surpasses all Yin and all infernal laws we have encountered in the prison combined.’
Bruno nodded in understanding; this realm was undoubtedly the primordial source of all the abyss’s power, while the prison diverted only a fraction of what emanated from there. As Bruno closely observed the ashes, a revelation occurred to him as he murmured. ’These ashes are emerging from the ground... and when that happens, I sense a faint law of the earth, which disappears shortly after.’
Alm nodded, sharing the same perception. Then his Yin tattoo lit up as he touched a handful of these ashes. In a matter of seconds, Alm expressed understanding.
’The two powers are being employed together, intrinsically, to suppress all laws of the earth. This place is the source of the abyss’s power and the earth suppression that exists within it.’
Quickly observing these ashes, numerous different ideas sprouted in Alm’s mind. Infernal laws and Yin were very similar, to the point that Alm saw no reason to use anything other than Yin. However, he now realized that when these two powers merged, they could generate strange effects.
It took just over a minute; then, when the whale felt everyone stopped behind him, he turned to the side and checked on Ruri. Unlike the prison, she felt no suppression in this place.
All behind observed the realm of ashes tensely; that place was known to be almost certain death and, at the same time, inexplicable. They were close to the entrance, and the ashes hindered visibility, as well as thwarting the senses, causing a palpable sense of melancholy.
According to the records of the Soul Eater Clan, which Alm and Bruno had read before, this place was divided into three sectors, and the danger multiplied several times in each of them. However, there was no kind of beast or life in this place, and the danger... no one knew exactly what happened; demons simply disappeared or exploded without any explanation.
Alm and Bruno then worked together, using their souls and sensing everything ahead. Soon, they sighed, confirming their old theories. Then, they turned to Ruri and spoke softly.
"Focus on studying and memorizing everything here. This place is covered by high-level spatial laws."
Ruri nodded, a bit confused, and everyone behind heard it, equally stunned. No one had ever managed to give an explanation about the dangers of this place. For Every 100 demons that entered, only 10 returned. And no one could ever sense danger from anywhere.
Bruno crossed eyes with Ruri, his gaze focused, and spoke. "The sharpest weapon in the world is not a material object forged by a great blacksmith but space itself. Yin can bring death to everything, removing the Yang of life; but space is the power capable of destroying everything that is physical and even reality."
"The laws of space are elusive and ephemeral. Fire, water, those things can be seen and touched. If someone frequently comes into contact with these laws, with a bit of talent, they can manipulate them. But the existence of space, although it is everywhere, cannot be felt. As a result, it is something powerful and incomprehensible to everyone, making it even more deadly."
"You saw before how the laws of winds can be useful for your weapon technique. But space is something used only among the best cultivators of the divine realm; it is on another level of comparison. Now, this place is a unique opportunity to feel it clearly. Something that few, even in the divine realm, receive."
The whale then turned to everyone behind. "Follow me closely and stay alert. This entire realm is under the effect of the first concept of space: ’distortion.’ And this first sector is under the influence of the second concept: ’division.’"
"At any moment, space can split, creating a small dimension. Something emerges from the void and immediately engulfs everything nearby, taking it into a micro-dimension that, seconds later, will collapse. The result you can imagine."
Everyone swallowed hard. Then, the sudden eternal disappearance of all demons was finally explained to them. It came from a law that was completely beyond their senses and knowledge.
Everyone had trembling eyes in front of the sacred whale; he had infinite knowledge. He was a god, after all. Everyone simultaneously thought and nodded their heads.
Ruri took a deep breath seriously, then didn’t hesitate and jumped on the back of the whale. Her arms crossed around the fat neck, then she closed her eyes. Her entire mind and senses focused completely on all surroundings; she would make the most of this opportunity. Even if she learned the minimum, she would reap infinite rewards.
Thus, after less than five minutes of arrival, the whale moved calmly, leading three clans on its back. Everyone walked attentively, but there was no fear in their minds. The sacred being was leading them.
So, minutes passed, with everyone walking in a straight line. Suddenly, the whale stopped and quickened its steps, making a swift detour. Everyone saw that movement and ran with all their might in the same direction. It didn’t take thirty seconds for everyone to feel a two-meter fissure opening and an infinite and deadly attraction springing forth. Then, in three seconds, everything disappeared completely.
Everyone sighed with their hearts beating violently. If they had been just a few steps closer to it, they would have been pulled into death without a chance to understand what happened.
Thus, amid the growing looks of adoration every second, Alm and Bruno continued leading and dodging the power of spatial laws.
After twelve exhausting hours for everyone, the environment finally seemed to change slightly. They had walked only one-third of the first sector, and there, was where the first treasures of the realm of ashes should exist.
Fortunately, Ruri now didn’t need to sleep or eat daily. So she continued studying the environment in meditation, without stopping for a second. After half an hour of walking, Alm and Bruno finally spotted something on the ground that caught their attention.
They were small stones of various sizes, but inside them, there clearly existed a strange law connected to the earth. Quickly, the records they read connected with something they were in possession of. All those scattered stones were the infamous lucky amulets, and they had gained one from Langrum in the past.
But it wasn’t just them. There were the lucky amulets that looked like common brownstones. But among them, deeply black stones could be seen; it was another type of item called the unlucky amulet.
The name was self-explanatory; demons didn’t have the habit of inventing mysterious names. However, these two types of amulets were considered useless trash by everyone in the abyss. The lucky one, few realized its effect. The unlucky one was the most conspicuous; there were legends that it attracted premature death to anyone who touched it.
Unlike the demons, Alm and Bruno already knew that the lucky amulet in their hands, for some reason, had its effect magnified thousands of times. And now, with the abundance of them, they wanted to run some tests.
"Gather everything you find; they might be useful in some way," commanded the whale, and everyone nodded slightly.
Spatial laws were calm in that region, but it was temporary; in an hour, everything would change, and they had to take advantage of this interval.
Minutes passed silently. Then, watching everyone scattered searching for these amulets, something caught Bruno’s attention.
’When Loeus, Almin, or Runula touch an unlucky amulet... there seems to be a connection... is this a karmic connection?’ Bruno spoke, uncertain.
Alm nodded, agreeing. These amulets could influence someone’s karma; for that to happen, there had to be this connection. The surprise was that precisely the unlucky amulet deeply connected with them. These three... definitely carried a heavy burden in their lives. All of them had difficult lives full of tribulations.
It didn’t take long for Bruno to notice the opposite happening. Runula and Deryu were helping Langrum in their small forms, and when the two touched the lucky amulets, a subtle resonance occurred. Only Alm and Bruno could feel all of this, thanks to their divine soul.
The whale then made a move and picked up both types of amulets, feeling them directly...
Mixed with the stone, they felt that strange law inside. Obviously, it was a law stolen by the queen, and they knew nothing about it. But... when the two laws were touched by their souls, something inside the core vibrated immediately.
Alm and Bruno were surprised and spoke at the same time. ’The Law of Duality of Shadows, it’s connecting!’
They quickly moved that unique self-created law outward, confirming with a synchronized sigh.
Alm was thoughtful, but Bruno had no restraint when it came to risks; impulsive was an understatement for him. So, without thinking too much, he activated the law and paid to see what would happen.
Alm and Bruno felt the laws inside the amulets being drawn... then they felt it merging with their Duality of Shadows Law. Soon, a single entity emerged, leaving only the two with astonished eyes.
Then, as if it had always been that way, something strange appeared and split between the two amulets.
’The dual law remained the same... but those two others fused...’ Bruno murmured.
Alm acted, tossing the two amulets and speaking to the other two figures nearby. "Almin, Langrum, catch!"
The two caught the two stones with doubtful looks. Then, Alm and Bruno confirmed: it continued to resonate the same as before... but now... they felt their own karma lightly connected to it.
So, they asked both to switch amulets... nothing changed, it continued to resonate the same.
When they took back the two amulets, they stared at them seriously for minutes. On the surface, they were just stones—something anyone could mistake for an ordinary stone.
Alm thought of something and moved the amulets closer to Ruri... suddenly, both of them widened their eyes as they felt something different resonating with her. The two amulets reacted strangely. Her karma wasn’t like that of ordinary people. Hers was like a sinister chain, bound to her by the heavenly laws.
’Is this celestial karma? How the hell does Ruri have something like this?’ Alm murmured.
Celestial karma was something special—a curse given directly by the heavenly laws to a mortal. To receive it, someone had to do something completely abnormal, defying all rules to an extreme degree. It was a sinister thing that would persist even through countless reincarnations, turning the person’s life into a living hell.
The two sighed... Ruri had some dark secret, but even she probably wasn’t aware of it. It definitely came from another life, and for now, they had no way of figuring it out. So, they turned their focus back to the present.
Then, Bruno had a strange idea. ’This seems to resonate differently with each person depending on their natural karma. And if... we use this to build our statues?’
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Alm listened without seeing the logic in that, Bruno thought for a few seconds, and then continued.
’Now it’s linked to us, and its effect is amplified to the extreme. If we make the statues with this stone, the people who worship us will be affected. Thus, those with good karma would be greatly benefited.’
Alm’s mind then clicked, and he spoke quickly. ’Those with bad karma that would eventually arise would be quickly killed by its influence.’
Bruno nodded. ’People with karma close to neutral wouldn’t have significant changes. So, if the theory is correct, this could be the biggest filter for our followers. There would be no people using our name for total evil, and over time, the good people would rise to the heavens thanks to karma. Our religion would naturally strengthen. With the evident benefits, our followers would only increase and never decrease.’
’But... we were avoiding using the lucky amulet to avoid challenging the heavens, altering our fate. If we do this... we will be constantly meddling with the destinies of countless people...’ Bruno murmured.
’The queen and all the heavens and laws are our enemies. Let’s just be a target... maybe, astronomically more conspicuous. Screw it! If the heavens are the enemies, we’ll face them too.’ Alm said, and a villainous and malevolent smile appeared on his face.