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Chapter XVIII
The Shadow Behind the Abyss
Arc 2 – The Shadow Conspiracy
A pale blue light flashed inside the forest.
The teleportation circle slowly faded.
Kashihero and Lucas appeared between the tall trees.
The battlefield outside the capital was now far behind them.
The forest was quiet.
Only the sound of the wind moving through the leaves could be heard.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Lucas finally broke the silence.
"…That monster."
Kashihero looked at him.
"You sensed something."
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Yes."
His crimson eyes grew slightly darker.
"That creature was not simply an underworld summon."
Kashihero waited.
Lucas continued.
"I felt a presence inside its aura."
"A presence that should not exist in this world."
Kashihero's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain."
Lucas turned his gaze toward the dark sky.
"The aura inside that monster…"
"…belonged to a sealed being."
For the first time since the battle ended, Kashihero's expression changed slightly.
"A sealed being?"
Lucas nodded.
"Yes."
He paused briefly.
Then he spoke the name.
"Demon King Xarge."
The forest became silent again.
The name carried weight.
Even the wind seemed to slow.
Kashihero remained calm.
"Explain everything you know."
Lucas crossed his arms.
"In the underworld, there are many powerful rulers."
"Demon lords… abyss beasts… ancient kings."
"But above them all…"
"…there are a few beings known as Demon Kings."
Lucas looked directly at Kashihero.
"Xarge is one of them."
Kashihero did not interrupt.
Lucas continued.
"Thousands of years ago, Xarge attempted to invade the human world."
"His army crossed through a massive underworld gate."
"Entire kingdoms were destroyed."
"But eventually…"
"He was sealed."
Kashihero spoke quietly.
"Not killed."
Lucas shook his head.
"No."
"Killing a demon king is extremely difficult."
"So they sealed him inside the Abyss Rift."
Kashihero thought about something.
"Hollow Sigil."
Lucas nodded.
"Yes."
"The organization you fought today."
"They are most likely trying to break that seal."
Kashihero looked toward the distant capital.
"So the monster was a test."
"Yes."
Lucas confirmed.
"They were testing if they could channel underworld energy into this world."
Kashihero remained silent for several seconds.
Then he asked something else.
"You recognized the aura immediately."
Lucas gave a small smile.
"In the underworld, Xarge's aura is impossible to forget."
"Cruel."
"Violent."
"And extremely oppressive."
He paused.
"The monster's aura carried a small fragment of that energy."
Kashihero nodded slowly.
That explained why the creature was so unstable.
But it also meant something else.
Someone in Hollow Sigil had already begun connecting with the Abyss.
Which meant the seal was weakening.
Lucas suddenly spoke again.
"There is another problem."
Kashihero looked at him.
"If Xarge truly awakens…"
"…this entire continent will become a battlefield."
Kashihero didn't look worried.
Instead, his eyes became thoughtful.
"That depends."
Lucas tilted his head slightly.
"On what?"
Kashihero answered calmly.
"On whether he becomes an enemy."
Lucas stared at him for a moment.
Then he laughed quietly.
"…Master."
"You're thinking about fighting a Demon King."
Kashihero turned away.
"I'm thinking about possibilities."
The forest wind moved gently through the trees.
After a moment, Lucas spoke again.
"There is something else."
Kashihero stopped walking.
"The creature reacted to your power."
Lucas continued.
"Especially when you used Carnivorous."
"It became more aggressive."
Kashihero already suspected the reason.
"Devour abilities are rare."
Lucas nodded.
"In the underworld…"
"They are feared."
Kashihero's eyes darkened slightly.
So even demons feared abilities like his.
Interesting.
Lucas suddenly looked toward the capital.
"The Holy Guards should be reaching the battlefield soon."
Kashihero nodded.
"They will investigate Hollow Sigil."
"Which is useful."
Lucas smiled faintly.
"You want them to do the work."
"Yes."
Kashihero continued walking deeper into the forest.
"For now, we stay in the shadows."
Lucas followed.
"The Shadow Conspiracy."
Kashihero did not deny the words.
Because the real battle had only just begun.
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Meanwhile — The Capital
Inside the capital, the atmosphere was tense.
The Holy Guards headquarters was filled with activity.
Reports were being written.
Messengers moved quickly through the halls.
Captain Darius Valen stood inside a large room.
Several officers surrounded a large table.
On the table were sketches of the battlefield.
The underworld monster.
The elder's body.
And the massive crater.
One officer spoke first.
"This level of destruction…"
"…could only be caused by high-level spirit masters."
Another officer shook his head.
"No."
"This goes beyond spirit masters."
Darius remained silent.
Then he spoke.
"Hollow Sigil is involved."
The room became quiet.
Everyone knew that name.
Darius continued.
"One elder confirmed dead."
"Possibly two."
One officer frowned.
"Who killed them?"
Darius looked toward the window.
Outside, the capital lights flickered in the night.
"…That is the real question."
---
Somewhere Far Away
Deep underground.
Inside a massive dark chamber.
A group of cloaked figures knelt on the stone floor.
In front of them stood a giant black altar.
Strange symbols glowed across its surface.
One of the figures spoke nervously.
"The elders…"
"…are dead."
Silence filled the chamber.
Then—
A deep voice echoed from the darkness.
A voice filled with cruelty.
"…Interesting."
Dark energy spread across the chamber.
The cloaked figures trembled.
The voice spoke again.
"So the Devourer has appeared."
The glowing symbols on the altar intensified.
The presence inside the darkness slowly awakened.
Far beneath the world—
Something ancient had begun to move.
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End of Chapter XVIII
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