Neo couldn’t understand it.
How did he survive the Darkness if he didn’t create a Seed of Darkness?
“Did Obitus save me?”
It was the only answer he could think of.
He looked at the sword.
“Obitus, what happened back then?”
There was no answer.
The sword’s spirit was asleep.
“It must’ve spent a lot of energy to help me back then,” Neo smiled. “Thank you.”
Foreign emotions appeared inside his head.
Happiness, Delight, Joy, Pride.
Obitus could not talk.
But it could hear him.
Neo smiled seeing how happy the Spirit became after hearing his praise.
“Now then, should I wait for the Immortal to restack or should I return to Underworld as is?”
The time limit was ticking by.
Neo made his decision.
He used Death skill and woke up in the Underworld.
For the first time in ages, he didn’t lose half of his Divine Energy upon arrival.
He took a deep breath.
“I can taste the Darkness infused in the air. Seems like my senses increased with the mastery.”
The thick amount of Death and Darkness elements in the Underworld calmed Neo.
He felt like he was home.
“I wonder if my current mastery is enough to complete the second trial.”
The hill where the second flag post was located was only an hour away.
Neo reached its base.
With his improved mastery, he could see the thick, almost intangible, Darkness covering the hill.
He smiled wryly.
“How did I fail to sense all of this before?
“If I hadn’t been lucky back then, the Darkness here would’ve devoured me.”
Neo took a step.
He climbed.
The Darkness rushed towards him.
It wrapped him in thick miasma and tried to eat him alive.
Insanity attacked his mind.
Emotions that weren’t his own…
Memories of a past he never experienced….
Desperate pleas he never made…
His mind buzzed with countless thoughts.
Neo continued to walk.
He ignored everything.
His mind, numbed, withstood the onslaught unwaveringly.
The Darkness surged when he reached halfway through the path.
Black flames of Darkness materialized.
They tried to burn Neo.
But.
He was one with the Darkness already.
The black flames of such level were no longer a threat to him.
So.
He walked.
Step by step.
And.
He reached the top.
Neo took out the flag and inserted it into the flag post.
Suddenly, the flag post shined and it absorbed all of the Darkness lingering on the hill.
“The second trial is done.”
Neo couldn’t help but think it was ironic.
The trial nearly made him go insane and turned him into a monster, and once he finished his preparations, it was far easier than the first trial.
He checked the timer.
“Ten hours left. I can start searching for the third flag post.”
It was clear by now the next flag posts would have a trial associated with them.
The next trials would be more dangerous.
Neo was not afraid of them.
His emotions were numbed thanks to the mastery of Darkness.
He had not become an emotionless machine.
But.
If he continued to walk on the path of Darkness, he would become like that one day.
“Let’s see. It should be easier to scout the forest from the hill.”
Neo scanned the forest.
Again, he realized the forest was too silent.
Was this how the Underworld was supposed to be, or was it related to the trials?
He hoped it was the former.
“Hmm?
“What’s that…?”
Neo saw a mansion far into the distance.
The building was majestic and regal, completely contrasting the ambience of the Underworld.
“That’s where I will find the third trial, won’t I?”
It couldn’t have been less obvious.
Neo got off the hill and went into the direction of the hill.
It took him a few hours to cover the distance.
The mansion was, as expected, enormous.
Just when he reached the mansion gate, the third flag moved and pointed at the mansion.
“As expected. It’s here.”
He pushed the main gate.
They opened with a screech.
Neo held his sword, ready to fight, and slowly walked in.
A lush garden with a marble path running through it lay beyond the main gates.
The flowers were colorful and fragrant.
Neo made sure to keep away from them.
He circled the garden.
There was a tea house deep inside.
Other than that, there was nothing worthwhile.
There was no ‘living’ presence in the area.
However, the flowers and the garden were well maintained, proving someone lived there.
“Is the owner of the mansion inside?”
He entered the mansion through the doors.
The interior, brightly lit, had marble floor, high vaulted ceiling, large windows, and expansive halls.
Suddenly, Obitus trembled.
Its emotions — fear, dread, horror — surged in Neo’s mind.
The sword was telling Neo to run away.
He might’ve pushed forward, despite the warnings, in normal situations.
However, the intensity of fear was too high.
Just when he was about to turn away, a voice reached his ears.
“Oh my, a guest?”
A skeleton, wearing princess tulle dress with a frill-layered skirt, walked down the staircase at the end of the hall.
‘She’ wore a cloche hat and her eyes, instead of being hollowed, had gentle black flames burning in them.
Obitus’ emotions went out of control when the skeleton woman appeared.
It wanted Neo to escape as soon as possible.
You… will…. die…
Run… while… I stop… her…
Black flames and red lightning erupted from the sword’s sheathe.
They attacked the woman when suddenly—
“No need to be afraid, child. I won’t harm your master.”
—the attacks disappeared.
They vanished into nothingness.
Obitus tried to fight again.
“Sleep,” the woman spoke.
And Obitus’ Spirit went into a slumber.
“I apologize for being forceful, but it didn’t look like she would listen to me,” the woman smiled wryly.
Despite her face being a skeletal head, Neo could tell her expressions.
She was smiling.
She was beautiful.
She was…
…!
‘These aren’t my thoughts or emotions!’
The gravity of the situation finally hit Neo.
He never sensed his mind being invaded, and… why was he so calm?
Neo realized.
It was her doing.
She was manipulating his emotions.