Suinhor City-State Alliance, Red Earth City

Inside an estate that appeared to belong to a powerful noble, a sinister ritual was taking place.

Cloaked ghouls, their forms hidden beneath heavy fabric, stood in a circle at the edge of a strange ritual array. Etched with symbols tied to the Abyss, the array was surrounded by dark and unholy prayers and summoning texts.

Akmanmon stood at the presiding position of the ritual array and extended his hand forward.

Whoosh!

The blazing flames surged higher, changing from red to a ghastly pale white. This was a sign that the ritual had successfully connected with the Abyss, welcoming the defiled power of the dark world.

Akmanmon’s face remained impassive as the flickering firelight cast alternating shadows and highlights across his features.

“Ancient and powerful monster from the evil and defiled Black Mud Abyss.”

“I nourish you with depravity and madness, feed you with blood and life, and worship you with death and suffering.”

“I offer my spirit as the anchor for your descent and my body as the vessel for your arrival, in exchange for your mighty and dark power.”

“Heed my command and summons. Come to the mortal world.”

At first, Akmanmon spoke in a measured tone, but his words grew steadily quicker until they blended together, one overlapping the next.

A strange chanting rhythm echoed through the space.

The effect was eerie and indescribable.

His words left no doubt that Akmanmon was summoning a monster from the Abyss.

Summoning Abyss monsters was an incredibly dangerous task, for both ordinary Ability Users and fanatics of the Abyss Cult. Many believed they could mitigate the danger by summoning only monsters they could handle. A Second-Rank summoner, for instance, might try to stay cautious by summoning only First-Rank monsters.

Many individuals tried to exploit the Abyss, using various methods to take advantage of its monsters.

However, such attempts seldom led to favorable outcomes.

After a few successful attempts, the next summoning often carried a high risk of failure.

For instance, you might plan to summon an ordinary swamp demon, but when you open the Abyss passage, a massive head the size of a house might emerge instead.

What stepped out would be a Third-Rank rotting wing demon.

In that moment, overwhelmed by horror, you would desperately try to stop the ritual and shut the door. You would quickly realize, however, that the door operated in both directions. You could close it from your side, but they could reopen it from theirs if they were willing to pay the price.

Of course, there were also unlucky souls who, on their very first attempt, intended to summon an ordinary bone monster but instead summoned the notorious commander of the Bone Legion.

The creature had used the passage to lead a horde of monsters, charging through with unstoppable force.

It annihilated the summoner’s lair, killed his students and servants, and slaughtered everyone in his hometown. After the devastation, it returned and took his skull to use as a footstool.

This series of events proved a harsh truth.

Attempting to exploit the Abyss demanded extraordinary skill, courage, and a fair share of luck.

Otherwise, you risked bringing ruin to everyone around you in a desperate attempt to avoid your own failure.

Many catastrophic events had their origins in such reckless endeavors.

Clearly, Akmanmon had extensive experience and was no stranger to dealing with the Abyss.

He had walked the tightrope many times, stepped into countless pits and traps. He was someone who had repeatedly fleeced the Abyss and Purgatory and lived to tell the tale.

The pale flames parted, unveiling a gateway.

Beyond the door lay an impenetrable darkness.

Out of the shadows came a deafening screech, and a colossal, pitch-black monster stepped through.

The creature possessed powerful, taloned legs and a pair of folded black wings on its back.

Whoosh!

The monster spread its wings, creating a violent gale that swept through the area. It tossed many of the ghouls around like paper, and they landed in disorganized heaps.

Akmanmon had summoned an ancient eagle demon. Though its appearance showed signs of age, its evil eyes shone with a sharp intelligence.

The eagle demon’s massive form loomed over them, its wingspan stretching over ten meters. Before it, Akmanmon and his group seemed like insignificant earthworms, vulnerable to being devoured in a single peck.

“Impressive this time.”

“To summon a monster of your rank, you must have endured for many years.”

Akmanmon noticed scars on its body, marks left by a Divine Servant’s Divine Technique.

“You have entered the mortal world many times and have even consumed countless lives.”

This was a Third-Rank Evil Eye Eagle Demon, a creature of immense power and dark intelligence.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon tilted its head slightly, its voice dripping with mockery. “Ah. So you are the snake who cannot stop asking questions.”

Akmanmon remained unfazed. Abyss monsters were known to possess intelligence, and some high-ranking ones were not only intelligent but also exceptionally cunning.

“It seems I have gained quite a reputation among your kind lately.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon sneered, its wicked gaze fixed on Akmanmon. “I have heard rumors about someone obsessively summoning Abyss monsters, asking the same question over and over, only to let them go when they do not answer.”

It tilted its head, and its voice dripped with mockery. “You are trying to uncover the origins of the Abyss, are you not? And that Avel figure, Yafuan.”

The demon’s tone turned sharp, laced with contempt. “A lowly snake person daring to dig into the deepest secrets of this world. How bold.”

Akmanmon asked the Evil Eye Eagle Demon, “Do you know?”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon sneered, “Know? Of course, I know. I served in Queen Melde’s palace once. How could I not know?”

Akmanmon noticed the word “once.” The eagle demon’s current bedraggled state made it clear that it no longer had the qualifications to stand in the palace of the Black Mud Abyss King, the Fallen Angel Melde.

As it spoke, a red light flared from the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s eyes.

“But there is a price to pay.”

“I need a significant offering before I tell you what you want to know.”

“Revealing secrets of the divine, of a supreme being, does not come cheap.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon spoke with grand confidence, as though it held all the knowledge in existence.

Akmanmon nodded. “Very good.”

It appeared he had agreed.

The eagle demon’s evil eye started to rotate, its expression filled with joy.

It seemed this person was easy to deceive. He had summoned dozens of Abyss monsters in succession, all to uncover a single answer.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon had learned that he let those other creatures go, and it had been waiting for its chance. At last, it had crossed paths with him.

In reality, many other powerful monsters had the same plan as the Evil Eye Eagle Demon, but it was the one that happened to seize the opportunity.

What the Evil Eye Eagle Demon failed to realize was that Akmanmon had been releasing those monsters repeatedly for one reason: to draw out one that truly held the secret he sought.

When Akmanmon agreed so easily, the Evil Eye Eagle Demon wasted no time in making outrageous demands.

“Sacrificing one small village will not cut it. I need an entire town, and I want the ones with noble blood, the ones with the power of Ability Users running through their veins.”

Akmanmon nodded repeatedly, giving the impression of agreement.

Then, with deliberate slowness, he turned to face the gathered ghouls.

“Seal it now!”

“Everyone, attack together!”

“Hold it down and keep it pinned!”

The ghouls quickly unleashed their powers, and the seal activated at once.

Their movements were precise and efficient, a sign they had performed this ritual countless times before.

Akmanmon showed no martial virtue whatsoever and had no intention of playing games of intrigue with this clearly malicious monster.

Since they could simply rob it directly, why engage in mind games with such cunning monsters?

Though the Evil Eye Eagle Demon was momentarily stunned by Akmanmon’s sudden betrayal, it showed no change in expression. It had already anticipated the possibility of treachery and immediately let out an arrogant laugh.

“Numbers, you think?”

“You think you can outmatch an Abyss Legion Commander in numbers?”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon let out a piercing screech. “Legion, to me! Now!”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon spread its wings, creating a violent hurricane that surged toward the others while bringing one foot down to stomp on Akmanmon.

All the ghouls activated their sealing barrier. It connected with Akmanmon, who stood at the center of the ritual, directly facing the Evil Eye Eagle Demon.

The hurricane was suppressed within the barrier, simultaneously trapping both the Evil Eye Eagle Demon and Akmanmon.

Since Akmanmon’s form was much smaller, the hurricane affected him far less.

As the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s foot descended, a massive black shadow rose from behind Akmanmon. At the same time, a blood-red seal imprint appeared.

Finally, the two merged into a terrifying red vortex that sucked in the eagle demon’s descending foot.

The crimson vortex clashed with the wind curse power, intertwining and locking them in place.

The two forces were evenly matched, locked in a tense struggle with neither side gaining ground.

Both maintained their strength, but neither could make a move. The Evil Eye Eagle Demon remained calm, waiting alongside Akmanmon for the arrival of its legion.

“Foolish snake,” the demon sneered.

“My legion is on its way. You cannot escape this. Unless you take your own life, there is no way for me to leave this world.”

“You made yourself the anchor, tying us here. For that, we owe you our thanks!”

The eagle demon was extremely pleased, as if it could already see Akmanmon’s ultimate fate.

“I will not allow you to take your own life. I will take control of your mind, manipulate everything about you, and destroy everything you hold dear.”

The eagle demon slowly turned its head, trying to gauge how much the door behind it had expanded. It also wondered why its monster legion had not yet followed through.

It noticed the door was steadily expanding, and it could feel someone on the other side of the Abyss frantically working to widen the passage and push through a large number of monsters.

It was unlikely an entire legion could cross, but even a few squads would form an incredibly powerful force in the mortal world. Such a force could easily destroy a small city.

Then the eagle demon discovered something strange. Another open Dream Realm gate was pressed directly against the Abyss gate, forming a single passage.

The Abyss monsters attempting to cross through the gate never even reached the mortal world. Instead, they fell directly into the other door.

Crucially, the monsters coming from the other side could not see what was happening on this side. As a result, they blindly charged forward, unaware of the danger.

By now, countless monsters had already rushed inside.

“Purgatory Gate?”

“You are a believer of Purgatory?”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon let out a shriek, unable to believe that such a method existed.

It was devastated, realizing that the numerous lower-level monsters it had enslaved and controlled were now gone. This was an immense loss to its power.

“So, this is the method you have been using all along?”

“No wonder so many lower-ranking Abyss creatures have been vanishing into Purgatory lately. So you were behind it all along.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon finally realized the cause behind the recent string of strange disappearances. It now understood why entire squads of monsters would venture out, only for none to return.

With its legion unable to emerge, the Evil Eye Eagle Demon now faced being surrounded and attacked by Akmanmon.

Akmanmon used his Plague Blood Curse vortex to hold down the Evil Eye Eagle Demon, while the seal outside continued to suppress them, trapping them both in a confined space.

At this point, the Evil Eye Eagle Demon disregarded the situation within the seal and directly released the wind curse from its body.

The wind curse rebounded off the seal, turning into countless wind blades that clashed and whirled violently within the confined space.

The attack not only failed to kill the much smaller Akmanmon but also ended up severely injuring the demon itself.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s eyes glowed with a sinister light as it turned its gaze toward Akmanmon.

Akmanmon appeared to have foreseen this action from the Evil Eye Eagle Demon. Without hesitation, he retrieved a mirror-shaped alchemical artifact and positioned it in front of him, reflecting the light back.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon was stunned. The person before it had an uncanny understanding of its powers.

It quickly decided to resort to threats, invoking the name of the Abyss King to intimidate this seemingly insignificant mortal snake person.

“Release me, serpent!”

“I will tell you what you seek. There is no need for this.”

“I am a commander under Queen Melde. If you destroy me, you will provoke the wrath of the Abyss King and the great Will of the Abyss.”

Akmanmon remained silent, showing no reaction to the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s desperate howls, as if he could not even hear them.

At this moment, the group of ghouls began preparing the next step, selecting Divine Artifacts and activating new ritual arrays.

In the past couple of years, Akmanmon had relied on various methods to borrow power from the Abyss. However, most of this power could not be applied directly to himself.

Instead, he used it to create artifacts. These artifacts, crafted from the remains of Abyss monsters, were specifically designed to counter and restrain other Abyss monsters.

Defeat monsters to acquire artifacts.

Use the artifacts to defeat monsters more effectively.

Then acquire even more artifacts.

It is a flawless cycle.

With the Evil God of Original Sin in slumber and the Abyss Kings embroiled in their own conflicts, Akmanmon found himself growing bolder and more unrestrained.

The ghouls, focusing their efforts on the Evil Eye Eagle Demon, quickly retrieved several artifacts to use against it.

“It is an eagle demon. Quickly, activate the wind-sealing artifacts and shroud it in dark mist.”

Several wind-sealing artifacts were placed in formation. When the ritual array was activated, the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s powerful wind curse immediately weakened and became ineffective.

The dark mist spread, enveloping the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s vision and leaving it in complete darkness, as though it had been blinded.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon shrieked wildly and struggled with all its might.

It thrashed about like a bird trapped in a cage, battering itself until it was bloodied.

Perhaps it could have broken through the seal with its full strength, but Akmanmon was inside, his relentless attacks keeping most of its power occupied.

The black mist seeped into the seal, eating away at its body.

“What is going on?”

“Why can I not see anything?”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon descended into chaos. Trapped within the cage, a “little person” armed with a weapon struck its body repeatedly, leaving deep wounds.

The demon writhed in agony, thrashing wildly as if it had lost all reason. It flung itself from side to side, crashing violently, as though intent on dragging Akmanmon down with it.

Ah!

“You wretched snake, I will tear you apart piece by piece!”

The ghouls had crafted two items that were uniquely suited to counter eagle demons.

As the darkness deepened, the ghouls’ powers began to intertwine and strengthen.

Crimson shadows, ominous and relentless, spread outward, wrapping tightly around the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s massive form.

Ah!

Finally, layers of black shadows enveloped the eagle demon entirely, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Akmanmon placed his hand on the eagle demon’s head, his fingers curling around its evil eye as he hovered in mid-air. He asked in a calm yet commanding tone, “Now, do you understand what I seek?”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon snarled, “I will not tell you anything. Abyss monsters do not fear death.”

“Vile snake, loathsome creature.”

“I…”

Akmanmon interrupted, “Abyss monsters may not fear death, but there is something they do fear.”

Akmanmon continued, “I can send you to Purgatory.”

“You will experience the wrath of the Lord of Purgatory, endure the endless devouring table, and face the unrelenting flames of Purgatory.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s expression shifted dramatically. Akmanmon held the fate of these Abyss monsters completely in his hands.

It suddenly recalled that this person also had the knowledge to open Purgatory gates.

The Lord of Purgatory held a deep hatred for the Abyss, and once Abyss monsters entered Purgatory, their fate became something even creatures of darkness dreaded.

“No! How do you even know the method to exile me to Purgatory?”

Akmanmon remained silent, his gaze fixed on the demon.

The lack of a response made the Evil Eye Eagle Demon shudder.

For the first time, true fear gripped the creature.

It had never encountered such an existence.

In the mortal world, even the most deranged individuals held a deep fear of the Abyss. Yet this person treated the Abyss as nothing more than a feast to be devoured, slaughtering Abyss monsters as if they were mere prey.

Even more unsettling was that he had devised an entire system of techniques aimed at countering different Abyss monsters.

He continuously gathered information, analyzed it, and eventually uncovered their vulnerabilities.

“You…”

“You… you…”

“How dare you do this?”

Akmanmon said, “Speak clearly, and I will let you go.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon clung to this hope. “Truly?”

Akmanmon, his tone unwavering, said, “I do not speak falsehoods.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon suddenly felt that Akmanmon’s words could be trusted.

Figures like him always carried a sense of pride. They acted as they wished, but when it came to their words and promises, they never wavered.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon had encountered such individuals before and had heard tales of their kind.

In truth, it had little choice. When Akmanmon offered even the faintest glimmer of hope, it had no option but to believe.

The ritual altar radiated an ominous and malevolent energy.

The massive eagle demon was encased in a cocoon of black power, leaving only its head visible.

A mysterious figure hovered in the air, one hand firmly placed on the eagle demon’s head.

It seemed as though the figure had seized the demon’s very essence or was delving into its thoughts.

The once-mighty Abyss monster now quivered before the seemingly insignificant snake person.

“Speak!”

Akmanmon had been delving into the mysteries of the Crown of Wisdom and the Crown of Wisdom Covenant, but his efforts had yielded no results. He had, however, uncovered hints within the myths and legends of the Witch Spirits and Avel people.

The Witch Spirits and Avel people worshiped the God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai. However, they believed there was an even greater being above the God of Knowledge and Truth.

It was a crown.

In their mythology, that crown was seen as the origin of all wisdom.

Akmanmon could not entirely grasp why the Avel people revered a crown, considering it greater than the God of Knowledge and Truth, or how a crown could embody the source of all wisdom. However, as he delved deeper into his investigation, he uncovered something even more intriguing.

He discovered that the origin of the Abyss appeared to be connected to the Crown of Wisdom Covenant.

The voice of the Evil Eye Eagle Demon lingered in Akmanmon’s thoughts.

“Back when Queen Melde summoned the mythological gate, that is when the Abyss came into existence,” the demon began.

“But at that time, the God of Original Sin was still asleep, not yet fully awakened.”

“The Abyss first appeared in Fenbuk, the sanctuary of the winged people. Back then, we could roam freely in the mortal world. Mortals did not need to summon us.”

“We had the potential to become the rulers of this world. Snake people and winged people were insignificant compared to us.”

“They do not deserve to rule the skies or the earth.”

“This world should have been ours.”

“But then… Yafuan happened.”

When the Evil Eye Eagle Demon mentioned Yafuan’s name, its voice was filled with a deep and bitter hatred.

“He rose to power as the King of the Fire Abyss. Before the god awakened, he made a deal as the Lord of the Abyss with some great force, binding the Abyss in eternal darkness and trapping us here forever.”

“Since then, we have needed mortals as anchors just to escape the Abyss.”

“And that man… he broke free and became the Lord of Purgatory.”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon stared at Akmanmon. If it had not been for Yafuan, it would never have crossed paths with this man.

Even so, the Evil Eye Eagle Demon fixed its gaze on Akmanmon once more.

“It is obvious that the Lord of Purgatory is Yafuan.”

“You, as a believer of Purgatory, truly did not know?”

This was the first time Akmanmon had learned that Yafuan was both the King of the Fire Abyss and the Lord of Purgatory.

He found it even harder to imagine that the legendary Avel hero Yafuan had made a covenant with some unknown existence, one that bound both the Evil God of Original Sin and the entire Abyss.

This act confined the Abyss to the depths of the Dream Realm and bound the Abyss Race to it for generations.

A single covenant had stripped a deity and an entire race of their ability to resist.

When the Evil Eye Eagle Demon spoke of making a covenant with a certain existence, Akmanmon connected it with the knowledge he already possessed. The answer was on the verge of escaping his lips.

“The Crown of Wisdom,” Akmanmon said, his voice low and deliberate.

“The Abyss Covenant… is that what it truly was?”

“The Abyss… so this is how it came into existence?”

Akmanmon felt as though he understood everything, yet his doubts only grew stronger.

He wrestled with the idea of how that crown could possess such immense power and command such absolute authority.

It seemed he had gained a new understanding of the term Crown of Wisdom and started to see why the followers of the God of Knowledge and Truth regarded it as something greater than the divine.

Akmanmon began to piece together some truths, yet countless questions still lingered in his mind.

With a subtle motion of his hand, the crimson shadow power unfurled from his body like a blooming lotus, piercing the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s form.

He tore out its evil eye.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon let out a piercing scream, its cries filled with unbearable agony.

“You gave your word!” the demon roared, its voice trembling with rage.

“You break the rules… You break the rules…”

Akmanmon’s tone remained calm, almost indifferent. “Rules?”

“Rules are made to be tested, and broken when necessary.”

“Only the weak and foolish are bound by rules.”

The terrifying crimson shadow tore the eagle demon’s eye from its socket. The eagle demon convulsed, its body shaking uncontrollably as blood poured out in a relentless stream.

Akmanmon held the Evil Eye Eagle Demon’s massive eye in his hand. With the loss of this eye, the eagle demon’s life came to an end as its body crumpled to the ground.

The stench of blood filled the air as it spread across the floor.

The ghouls, undeterred, lunged forward one after another, greedily lapping up the blood pooling on the ground.

Akmanmon stepped onto the ground and, without looking back, made his way into the depths of the estate.

“I am free, bound by nothing.”

The eagle demon’s evil eye rested on the table, resembling a beautiful, large gemstone bead.

Akmanmon carefully documented the information he had recently uncovered about the Crown of Wisdom and the covenant, writing it meticulously in his notebook.

“Why was Yafuan able to successfully make a covenant with the Crown of Wisdom, binding both the Abyss and the Abyss Race, yet Suero was unable to do the same?”

Akmanmon wrote down Yafuan’s name. Based on what the Evil Eye Eagle Demon had revealed, the Lord of Purgatory was Yafuan.

Regrettably, Akmanmon had no means to ask him this question.

“Yafuan became Lord of the Abyss and made the Crown of Wisdom Covenant in the name of the Abyss Race.”

Akmanmon underlined the title Lord of the Abyss and wondered, “Was Suero not strong enough?”

Akmanmon shook his head. In the end, Suero’s power had reached the level of a deity. He could not be considered weak.

Akmanmon then turned his attention to the latter part of the sentence, noting that the covenant was made in the name of the Abyss Race.

“In the name of the Abyss Race?” Akmanmon muttered to himself. “Is it possible that there is a distinction between ghouls and the Abyss Race?”

Suddenly, Akmanmon realized there was a problem. Were ghouls truly a race?

If they were, then would Witch Spirits and alchemists also be able to make the Crown of Wisdom Covenant?

Ghouls appeared to be more of a supernatural profession than an actual race, at least for the time being.

Akmanmon stood up, a thought forming in his mind. He began to understand why Suero had failed in the past.

“So this was a scheme from the very beginning.”

“The Evil God of Original Sin never had any intention of allowing Suero to become the King of Gluttony. He simply used Suero as a tool, forcing him to make a covenant with the Crown of Wisdom.”

“Perhaps he wanted to study the power of the Crown of Wisdom, or he was preparing to find a way to break free from its constraints, or maybe his motives were something else entirely.”

Akmanmon clenched his fist for a moment, a sense of unwillingness surfacing on Suero’s behalf. However, he soon let his hand relax.

“There is no help for it, Suero.”

“You were not as strong as the others. You were always just a part of their plans.”

“Your failure was inevitable.”

Reflecting on Suero’s failure, Akmanmon leaned back in his chair.

Suero’s defeat was a lesson, but Akmanmon was determined to succeed. He knew he had to keep moving forward.

He now had a clearer understanding of the Crown of Wisdom’s mysteries and the immense binding power of its covenant, which even deities and entire races could not resist for generations.

With this knowledge, Akmanmon began to form a preliminary plan for his future path and the steps he needed to take.

“As the Progenitor of the Race, I must make a covenant with the Crown of Wisdom.”

“Then I will use the power of the covenant to bind the entire race, and through that, bind myself.”

“This is how I will open the path to eternity.”

After writing down the words “path to eternity,” Akmanmon finally closed his notebook.

To take this step, he needed to become the true leader of a race.

A name surfaced in Akmanmon’s mind: “Feathered Serpent Kurmis.”

This was the apostle of the mortal realm who had created the new crop species Brown Ball Vine and the new intelligent race of Lizard People.

Akmanmon had not paid much attention to this figure before, but now he was eager to seek them out.