Chapter 51 – General of the Underworld (１)

Around that time.

In the deepest reaches of Tartaros.

Someone inside the massive black castle opened their eyes.

They had been asleep for a long time.

This land of darkness had been utterly still for ages—no change at all.

But she opened her eyes.

She was Tartaros’s First Monarch of Darkness—the fastest shadow in existence.

That could only mean one thing: the land had changed.

“The gate is open.”

The gate had opened.

The sealed gate of Tartaros had opened.

A gate that could only be opened from the outside.

The door the Ancient God had sealed by forsaking everything.

That meant someone had dared to open that door and step into the darkness without fear.

“Then the time of the prophecy has begun.”

The time of the prophecy.

The moment when a vast darkness would rise and begin to overturn the world.

And the moment when the flickering light, meant to oppose that darkness, would start to stir.

That time had come, it seemed.

“The small light… is close.”

The small light.

It was the Light of the Seeker.

A single ray left behind by the Ancient God at the dawn of creation.

“Come. I will personally snuff out that feeble, pitiful light.”

*

“…My lord?”

A rather troubling response came back.

Fight the Monarch.

[Yes. The Monarchs of the Underworld. Their power drew me into this realm and holds my existence here.]

“…Ah.”

Gijun was at a loss for words.

Wasn’t it true?

He had already felt how strong a Monarch was.

Even with just a fraction of Libre’s power, he had experienced overwhelming force.

How was he supposed to bring down such a Monarch?

It was then.

[Of course, you don’t have to defeat the Monarch yourself. It will be enough if you can create even a tiny crack in its power.]

“A crack in its power?”

[Yes. Not all the Monarchs have fully awakened yet. And the First Monarch hasn’t regained its complete power either. So exploit that gap and defeat a General of the Underworld. If you create even a small fracture… I should be able to handle the rest.]

‘A General….’

That wouldn’t be an easy opponent either.

But….

“Understood.”

It was still a much more manageable fight than taking down a Monarch.

[Good. But I can’t send you to fight a General without any help at all.]

With those words, Hamal moved its hand.

In that instant, something materialized atop Gijun’s palm.

“What is this…?”

[A small token of my gratitude for you.]

[You have acquired the Orb of Earth!]

[Orb of Earth]

-Grade : Unique

-Equip Restriction : Level 110 or higher

>Physical Attack : 150

>Magic Attack : 1050

>Magic Power +150

>Magic Attack +250%

>Fire Attribute Attack +200%

>Casting Speed +100%

>Mana Recovery +30%

>MP Recovery Speed +100%

>Max MP +150%

>Movement Speed +50%

>Earth’s Blessing

-Physical Defense +100%

-Elemental Resistance +30%

-Shield Amount +1000

‘Uh…?’

It was an orb.

The wand Gijun currently wore had no level requirement and was for Level 60 or below.

But this orb had a requirement of Level 110.

And it was even Unique Grade.

An item that couldn’t even be traded — above Legendary Grade.

‘I’m at Level 109 right now.’

I can’t equip it yet, but just one more level and I will.

“The stats are absurd.”

The endless stream of options left Gijun’s mouth hanging open.

The wand he currently wore felt pitiful in comparison.

[I hope you accept this small help with gratitude.]

“This is more than enough.”

Gijun replied.

*

Gijun, Amalta, and Libre had just stepped out of the temple.

[A Seeker-exclusive Achievement has been triggered.]

-Defeat Underworld Warriors (0/100)

-Reward: Compass of the Underworld / Experience

The Seeker-exclusive Achievement had appeared just in time.

Its reward was the Compass of the Underworld.

Even the name alone told him it was an item that revealed locations.

‘I needed to level up anyway.’

He had to raise his level to equip the Orb of Earth in the first place, so…

“Let’s move first.”

Gijun started walking without a set direction.

Looking for the monsters called Underworld Warriors.

*

“Is that one?”

Wandering through Tartaros, they came across a moving black lifeform.

It stood about two meters tall, its entire body dyed pitch-black.

Blades extended from both arms like natural extensions.

[Lv. 200 Underworld Warrior]

The Underworld Warrior was a staggering level 200.

Nearly double Gijun’s current level.

That meant he now had to take down a hundred monsters at that caliber, on par with the lower Magin.

It was clearly going to be a tough fight.

And defeating a mere Underworld Warrior wasn’t enough—he’d need to bring down a far stronger general just to unlock Hamal’s seal.

Beyond that, the Monarch himself awaited.

The thought crept into him that this might be an endless battle.

Yet, for some reason, it excited him.

At the end of every fight against powerful foes, incredible rewards always waited.

And claiming those rewards would make him even stronger.

Knowing that, the word “strong enemy” only steeled his resolve.

Gijun drew his wand.

Amalta, too, readied for battle.

“I am prepared.”

“Good. Me too.”

With that, Amalta and Gijun moved toward the Underworld Warrior.

‘Let’s get that one level up fast.’

That single level ahead was crucial.

Once it went up, he could equip the Orb of Earth that Hamal had gifted him.

Kroaaaar!

The Underworld Warrior spotted them and lunged into motion.

It was incredibly fast.

‘A bit stronger than a lower Magin, huh.’

From its movement, it seemed only slightly stronger than a lower Magin.

He’d struggled against the first lower Magin he’d faced, but things were different now.

Gijun was far stronger than back then.

The creature launched itself at him.

Watching the Underworld Warrior charge at breakneck speed, Gijun began casting Fireball.

But just then—

“How dare you!”

Amalta stepped in front of Gijun, his spear blocking the Underworld Warrior’s attack.

Kwaaang!

Amalta’s spear and the Underworld warrior’s blade clashed, and the warrior’s body was driven backward.

“Focus on attacking that bastard. I’ll handle everything else.”

‘So I ended up saving the tanker after all.’

Not that I’d intended to save the party.

But if Amalta was volunteering to play the tanker’s role, I wasn’t about to refuse.

Jun activated Orca’s Footsteps and moved.

Toward the Underworld warrior’s back.

Slipping behind the bastard, he immediately cast a Fireball and sent it flying.

BOOM!

The moment the Fireball slammed into it, one side of its body tore open.

Of course, its monstrous regeneration kicked in just as fast—the same brutal recovery this bastard possessed.

But this was only the beginning.

WHOOSH! FWOOSH!

Fireball after Fireball rained down on it without pause.

As fast as its body knit itself back together, the Fireballs blasted it apart again.

Watching Jun, Amalta clicked his tongue in grudging admiration.

“I don’t like him… but the bastard’s got real skill.”

Amalta muttered that under his breath, then tensed every muscle in his body.

CRASH!

He shoved the Underworld warrior back with sheer brute force, hurling it into the air, then roared.

“Now!”

Jun grinned and unleashed both Fireball and Strong Wind at the bastard simultaneously.

KABOOM!

Caught in the raging, storm-like inferno, the Underworld warrior never even touched the ground—it turned to ash and vanished.

The moment it fell, a message appeared.

[Level up!]

‘Nice.’

Jun clenched his fist.

Now he could equip the Orb of Earth.

Jun pulled out the Orb of Earth.

The orb’s information floated up before his eyes once more.

The moment he saw it, a smile crept onto his lips.

Was this what it felt like to be full just from looking at something?

A Unique item with a Level-110 requirement.

The moment he equipped it—even after subtracting the Magic Power from his old wand—his Mana shot up by over 100.

His magic attack power skyrocketed too.

Combined with the other stats, Jun’s combat power had surged dramatically.

That was when—

“That… what is that? Why… do I sense Mother’s energy?”

The moment Jun swapped his equipment, Amalta asked in shock.

“It’s the weapon Lady Hamal gave me.”

“…?!”

Amalta’s eyes flew wide.

“M-Mother… gave you that…?”

“Yeah.”

“…No, that can’t be…”

Amalta’s hand trembled faintly.

Then he composed his expression and asked.

“By any chance…”

“Go ahead.”

“Was there no gift for me?”

“…”

Jun looked at Amalta with a slightly awkward expression and answered.

“There wasn’t…”

“…”

At that one word, Amalta’s shoulders sagged.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but somehow it felt like he had.

“…Damn it. Life’s just….”

Muttering those cryptic words, Amalta trudged forward.

[What a cute little thing you are]

“Tell me about it.”

Gijun and Libre followed weakly after the deflated Amalta.

Not long after, they encountered another warrior of the Underworld.

*

“Dieeeee!”

Amalta.

He was in a state of seething rage.

‘How—how could this be!’

Even Libre—and Hamal.

Everyone had fallen under that wizard’s spell.

‘The Flame Monarch I could accept… but even Mother!’

Giving Gijun a gift, a hundred times over, that was fine.

But to give him nothing at all—!

‘Mother!’

Amalta roared inside.

He intended to vent all that fury on the Underworld’s warrior.

Craaack!

With all his strength, he launched the warrior skyward again.

In that instant, Gijun’s Fireball streaked in.

“Hm?”

Amalta’s eyes went wide.

KABOOOOM!

“Wha—what the hell….”

Gijun’s Fireball had grown stronger.

Impossibly stronger than before—no comparison.

A single Fireball had torn away half the Underworld warrior’s body.

‘M-Mother… just what kind of artifact did you give him?’

His mind went blank.

He’d been so jealous, so envious, and now seeing the wizard’s absurdly amplified power, envy curdled into jealousy, then flared back into rage.

Boom! Ba-boom-boom!

The Underworld warrior scattered into nothing under the barrage of Fireballs that followed.

[You’ve grown stronger! Astonishingly stronger!]

Libre’s joyful voice rang out.

Envious.

So envious he could go mad!

I want to be loved by the Monarchs too!’

That wizard—he was so enviable it was driving him insane!

But then.

[Amalta.]

A voice came from somewhere.

“Wh-what?”

Amalta spun his head in shock.

Was it Libre speaking to him?

No.

Libre was too busy chattering excitedly with Gijun.

So… an auditory hallucination?

But that wasn’t it either.

[Over here, Amalta.]

The voice came again.

N-no way?’

Amalta frantically pulled out Manta’s Jewel.

[Yes. It is I, Amalta.]

Right.

The voice was coming from Manta’s Jewel.

[My son, Amalta. I know of the time you devoted to me.]

A-ahh!’

It was Hamal.

From Manta’s Jewel, a voice from Hamal rings out.

It comes from that object, passed down through ancestors long ago.

[Do not envy me. For the day you remember me and set foot on this land, I too have prepared a gift for you…]

At that moment.

Light burst forth around Amalta’s body.

A radiant glow exploded around Amalta.

At that moment.

“O-ooh! OOOOOOH!”

Amalta cried out.

Power began surging through his body.

It was a strength beyond description.